Trunks and Goten's Excellent Adventure
by theshadowedmoon
Summary: Trunks and Goten accidently cross into an alternate timeline where they encounter past versions of the Z warriors who are currently fighting the Saiyans. What's worse...Freeza is on his way to Earth. Chibis to the rescue! completed
1. The Beginning revised

Author's Note: I've decided to re-write my "Excellent Adventure" series with the intention on improving grammar, structure, and general content. Here's the first reposted chapter. I will try to have a chapter a week, but don't get too hopeful.  
  
Disclaimer: Dragonball Z belongs to Akira Toriyama, Funimation, and a lot of other rich people. I simply own this fanfic and the laptop that I wrote it on.  
  
Chapter One Revised: The Beginning  
  
Bulma wiped the sweat from her brow and leaned back, surveying her latest invention. The machine gleamed brilliantly in the harsh florescent light. If Bulma's calculations were correct, this contraption would enable whoever operated it to cross dimensional boundaries into alternate realities. This would allow her to visit Mirai Trunks, his own reality now being separate thanks to his tinkering with the original timeline. The plan was to finish construction of the machine in time for Trunks' birthday: Chibi would be turning nine; Mirai, 19. Bulma couldn't wait to see the look of shock on her "older" son's face when she, Vegeta, and Chibi Trunks arrived on his doorstep with a birthday cake and presents.  
  
Bulma sighed heavily, a sound of appreciation for her own brilliance. It was great being a genius.  
  
Glancing at the calendar tacked to the lab's bulletin board, Bulma quickly calculated the remaining time until the big day. She had exactly three weeks left until Trunks' birthday. The machine was nearly complete. Just a few kinks in the fueling system and the minor detail of the battery not wanting to stay charged. But for an intellect like Bulma Briefs, this was nothing. Feeling confident that she had plenty of time to work out the problem, the world's greatest scientist left her lab and headed for the kitchen. It was nearly noon and heaven forbid she not have a feast prepared for her ever-so-demanding husband.  
  
On the second floor of Capsule Corporation, a fight had broken out. Son Goten stood glaring at his best friend and partner-in-crime, Trunks. Normally the younger boy went along with whatever his friend suggested, but today was one of the rare moments when he decided to stand up for himself.  
  
"How come you always get to be the good guy?" whined the spiky-haired youth, crossing his arms and frowning at his counterpart.  
  
"Because, I'm better at it," replied Trunks matter-of-factly. "Besides, being a good guy is boring. It's a lot more fun being the bad guy. I'm really doing you a favor."  
  
Naturally, this was a blatant lie. However, Trunks had become an expert at getting his way in general, especially with the ever trustful Goten. This time it didn't work.  
  
"But I'm always the bad guy. I want to be the good guy!" protested Goten, his voice reaching a new level of whininess.  
  
"But you're such a good bad guy," commented Trunks, using honeyed words to flatter Goten into complying. For a moment, this method appeared to work. But then Goten's face hardened with resolve.  
  
"No," he stated firmly.  
  
Trunks frowned, unnerved by Goten's unusual opposition. "Yes. Stop being such a baby, Goten. Besides, I'm the Prince of all Saiyans, and I say you're going to be the bad guy!"  
  
"I'm not a baby!" retorted the younger demi-Saiyan, tears welling up in his eyes.  
  
"Crybaby, crybaby," chanted Trunks in a mocking tone.  
  
"I am not!" cried Goten, balling his fists in anger.  
  
"Dad's right," drawled Trunks, an inherited smirk crossing his lips. "All of you Sons are just weaklings."  
  
Goten's body shook with rage. He could take a lot, but his friend's words wounded him more than the older boy could ever realize. Unable to express this, Goten responded the only way he knew how: with anger.  
  
"You're such a jerk. I hate you, Trunks Briefs!" he screamed before turning and running blindly down the hallway.  
  
"Fine! I didn't want to play with a crybaby anyway!" Trunks yelled after him. With those words, he threw himself backwards onto his bed and glared at the ceiling.  
  
Goten quietly slipped through the corridors of Capsule Corp., careful to avoid Bulma and Vegeta's ki. Tears ran down his cheeks, blinding him as he made his way through the building. Trunks' taunts echoed his mind on infinite repeat, drowning out his sense.  
  
The young boy came to a dead end, his path blocked by massive metal doors plastered with warning signs. Goten vaguely recalled that this was Bulma's private lab. This area of the company was off-limits and the perfect hiding spot.  
  
Pushing the doors open, he crept into the enormous room crowded with beakers, test tubes, and other various tools. In the center of the space stood a large machine, similar to one Goten had seen before in pictures: Mirai Trunks' time machine.  
  
Levitating quietly, Goten settled himself down into the pilot's seat. He huddled down in a corner, pulling his knees up under his chin. He resolved to stay there until the afternoon, when Gohan was to pick him up. He began to plot his retaliation, imaginging the look on Trunks' face when he would leave without saying even saying good-bye.  
  
Fifteen minutes had passed and Trunks was still glaring at the ceiling. He had expected Goten to come back five minutes after their fight with an "I'm sorry" and that goofy grin of his, just like he always did. Goten would apologize and Trunks would graciously accept.  
  
The idiot was ten minutes late.  
  
Another five minutes passed, and Trunks' anger grew. He didn't like having to wait, and he was growing very impatient.  
  
Ten more minutes. Trunks stubbornly blinked back tears as he remembered Goten screaming "I hate you" at him. He hadn't really meant it, had he?  
  
Five minutes later, Trunks wandering the corridors, looking for the younger boy. He muttered angrily to himself, irked that Goten had finally gotten the better of him this time. Searching out his comrade's ki, Trunks retraced his friend's path to his mother's lab.  
  
Making sure he wasn't being watched, Trunks slipped into the cavernous room. He knew that his mother would be furious if she found either of them inside. The number one rule in the Briefs household was that no one was to enter her sanctuary. If she found Goten and Trunks "playing" in there, she would be more than willing to hand them over to Vegeta's wrath.  
  
Tiptoeing across the slick linolieum floor, Trunks hovered up into the machine in which his young friend was trying to hide. He crouched down next to Goten and gently placed his hand on the other boy's shoulder.  
  
"Chibi?" he whispered, using his special name for Goten. The Son child responded by curling up tight and moving farther away from him.  
  
"Come on, Goten. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad," Trunks pleaded.  
  
Goten shifted so that he could peek at the lavender-haired boy from under his arm. "Bully," he hissed.  
  
"Goten! I said I was sorry!" Trunks tried to move closer, but Goten again shifted out of reach. Tears began to form in the corners of Trunks' baby- blue eyes.  
  
"Please don't hate me Goten. You're my best friend. You're not allowed to hate me. Forgive me, will you? I'll let you be the good guy if you forgive me."  
  
The black-haired youth glanced up and carefully studied his friend's face. "You promise?"  
  
"Sure I do! Have I ever broken a promise to you?" Trunks asked, winking at the other boy.  
  
Goten grinned.  
  
"You're the best Trunks!" he shouted, lunging at the older boy and wrapping his arms around him in a rib-crushing hug.  
  
The pair tumbled backwards, jarring the machine's controls. A loud humming noise filled the room as the machine activated. Both boys cried out as the glass slid shut, trapping them in the device.  
  
Bulma flinched as the alarm blast sounded across the loud-speaker system. It took her a moment to figure out which alarm had been triggered; there were so many emergency systems at Capsule Corp. that it was often difficult to keep them straight. This particular siren indicated that the security system had picked up on unauthorized activity in her private lab.  
  
Cursing corporate spies, Bulma sprinted towards the lab. She slid to a halt in front of the massive doors, nearly losing her balance and colliding with the thick metal. Shaking the handle furiously, she realized that the doors had automatically locked, a precaution only taken when one of the devices within the lab had been activated. Glancing through the reinforced glass, she saw two familiar figures trapped in the reality jumper. Bulma's heart stopped.  
  
"Trunks! Goten!" she shrieked, pounding frantically on the doors. She had to reach them, somehow...  
  
Vegeta suddenly appeared by her side, alerted by the feelings of panic coming from his family members. He glared at his mate, his dark gaze intense. "Woman! What's going on!" he barked.  
  
"The boys are trapped inside. I can't get the doors open..." she replied, her voice desperate.  
  
Grabbing her arm, Vegeta dragged Bulma backwards. Pushing her behind himself in order to shield her, he began gathering energy for his infamous Big Bang Attack.  
  
"You can't just blow up my lab to get to them! Idiot! Stop!" screamed the scientist, her voice shrill.  
  
But before Vegeta could release the ki attack, a brilliant yellow light flashed from within the lab, and Goten and Trunks were gone.  
  
To be continued...  
  
That's it for the revised chapter one. I hope the changes were a good improvement. I'll try to have chapter two up by next week. 


	2. Things Only Get Worse revised

A/N: Here's the second revised chapter, and I've finished it in less than a week! Yay for me.

* * *

The reality jumper lurched to a halt, flinging Goten and Trunks forward into the control panel. With Goten's arms wrapped so tightly around him, Trunks couldn't brace himself, and his head smashed into the panel. Roughly pushing his comrade off of him, the purple-haired youth rubbed the tender spot on his head. Goten sat up and peered out through the glass shield.  
  
"Trunks-kun, where are we?" he asked in a trembling voice.  
  
The older boy crawled over next to him. They stared out at the empty plain that stretched out in every direction.  
  
"I have no idea," replied Trunks.  
  
He turned to study the machine that had carried them away on this excellent adventure. He recognized the device as being almost identical to the blueprints Mirai Trunks had shown his mother for his time machine. Taking this fact into consideration, Trunks assumed that this machine must function in roughly the same manner. While the control panel was a mass confusion of bright buttons, blinking lights, and various levers, the boy noticed a display labeled "destination time." A scrap of paper that was taped next to the panel had the words "our time" and what appeared to be random numbers written in his mother's familiar scrawling cursive. Doing quick calculations in his head, Trunks figured there was roughly fifteen years difference between the two sets of numbers. Factoring in the negative sign in front of the destination time, he assumed that meant they had traveled back in time. Next to the numerals was an electronic display indicating "variation 3."  
  
Trunks leaned back and rubbed his chin as he placed the pieces of the puzzle together. He remembered his mother explaining that not only could one travel back and forth in time, but one could also travel "sideways" through time. Doing this would send the person to an alternate timeline. Mirai Trunks had done so to return to his own timeline. Suddenly, it all made sense.  
  
"This machine is used to travel to variations of our timeline!" cried out Trunks excitedly.  
  
Goten scrunched up his nose, the generic Son "puzzled look" spreading across his face. "Huh?"  
  
Trunks sighed and glanced wearily at his companion. From past experience, he knew it was nearly impossible to explain anything of a scientific nature to Goten. Still, it was better not to leave the young Son completely clueless.  
  
"Not only is there the existence of our timeline, what we know as our past and present and potential future, but there also exists variations of that time line. Like alternate realities."  
  
The black-haired boy scratched the back of his head and blinked several times. Trunks took a deep breath and continued.  
  
"Realities where things turn out differently than our own. Like one big "what-if?" scenario. Only it's real."  
  
Goten shrugged, deciding that Trunks probably knew what he was talking about.  
  
"So, you're saying that we're in one of these different realities?" he asked.  
  
"Yes! Do you know how cool this is? My mom is such an awesome genius! Scientists are still debating whether or not alternate universes even exist, and here she builds a machine that allows us to travel to one!"  
  
Trunks scanned the control panel again, his baby-blue eyes lit up in fascination. Goten couldn't help noticing that he looked a lot like Bulma- san when she announced her latest invention.  
  
"Trunks?"  
  
The purple-haired boy turned to his friend. "Huh?"  
  
"How do we get back?" asked Goten, fear evident in his voice.  
  
"Simple," stated Trunks. He snatched up the piece of paper that had been taped to the panel." These are the coordinates of our original timeline. Mom must have been planning on testing the machine soon since she put these here. All we have to do is punch in the numbers and start up the machine."  
  
With a flourish, Trunks tapped the number keypad, entering the correct coordinates into the computer system. Smiling widely at Goten, he hit the ignition button.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
Frowning, Trunks punched the button again. Still nothing. Frustrated, the boy began pounding the control panel.  
  
"Arg! Why isn't it working?" he growled.  
  
"We're stuck here, aren't we?" Goten whimpered, tears filling his eyes.  
  
"Cut that out. Shesh. _Crybaby_."  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Goten, we don't have time for this conversation."  
  
Trunks studied the display panel, chewing thoughtfully on his bottom lip. There had to be a logical explanation for it failing to activate. He spread out across the cushioned seat and rummaged around underneath until he found a copy of his mother's blueprints. Two parts were circled in a bright red marker. Trunks assumed that these were the parts that must have been giving his mother trouble.  
  
"We need to get replacements for these," commented Trunks, pointing to the diagram.  
  
"Um...Trunks? Where are we going to find that sort of stuff?"  
  
"Where else? Capsule Corp." Popping the protective glass shield open, Trunks jumped out of the machine.  
  
"Capsule Corp.? Are you serious?" squeaked Goten, following his friend.  
  
"Yeah. It should be easy. There are always school tours going on around the place. All we have to do is sneak in with a group and then wander off mid-tour. We find my mom's lab, get the parts, get out, go home. Simple."  
  
Trunks hit a button on the exterior of the reality jumper. With a poof, the machine shrank into its capsule. He bent over and retrieved the machine, stuffing it into his pocket. Looking at his watch, Trunks hit the small homing button which could locate Capsule Corp from anywhere in the world. The clock face vanished and was replaced by a grid. An arrow pointed off towards the boys' left.  
  
"Home's that way," stated Trunks, pointing in the same direction.  
  
"OK. Let's go!" Goten levitated into the air, ready to set off.  
  
"Get down here you dummy!" shouted Trunks, taking hold of his friend's leg and dragging him down. "If we fly, everyone will sense up our kis and attack us."  
  
"Why would they do that?" asked Goten, frowning.  
  
Trunks rolled his eyes. "Because they'll think we're enemies, stupid. We've gone back in time about fifteen years. We haven't been born yet. They won't recognize us."  
  
"Oh. Does this mean we have to walk?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"It would be faster if we fly."  
  
"I know that. But do you really want your dad attacking us, thinking we're some sort of enemies?"  
  
Goten tilted his head in thought. "No."  
  
"Then we walk."

* * *

After two hours of walking, Goten was getting bored. And when he was bored, he tended to whine. At the moment, he was whining about not having anything to eat. Thanks to their little misadventure, they had missed lunch. Trying to ignore his comrade's near-constant complaints, Trunks stared at the ground before him. His mind was absorbed with his current situation: they were lost; they were going to break into Capsule Corp.; he wasn't sure how to repair the machine, even if they got the parts. The situation looked grim.  
  
Suddenly, Trunks collided with something solid, knocking him over onto his back. Picking himself up, he glared up at the obstacle that had so rudely knocked him out of his train of thought. Glaring back down at him was a tall, bald man. He sneered down at the boy, his muscles flexing underneath the unusual armor he wore. However, Trunks eyes were locked on the monkey's tail that was wrapped around the man's waist like a belt.  
  
"Hey, Radditz! Come take a look at what I found!" the man called, leaning down into Trunks' face. "It's a purple-haired freak!"  
  
"What is with this species and its unusual hair colors? That woman that was with them had that hair color as well," replied the other Saiyan as he came to stand by Nappa's side.  
  
Trunks immediately recognized the pair from his father's description. This was not good. The boy hesitantly backed away from the two Saiyans. Goten snuck up behind him and peeked from around his back.  
  
"Radditz, that brat looks a lot like your delinquent brother," pointed out the taller alien.  
  
"You're right, Nappa. What are two little boys doing out in the middle of no where anyway?" he demanded.  
  
"Er...we're part of a Boy Scout troop. We got separated from our group, and we're trying to head back towards civilization," answered Trunks politely, stepping on Goten's toe to keep him from contradicting the story.  
  
Nappa smirked and glanced at his companion. "Hey, why don't we have some fun with them, Radditz? Let's see how fast they can run."  
  
"Leave them be. The minute we try anything, those pathetic earth warriors are going to be on our tails. These scrawny creatures aren't worth the wasted energy."  
  
Frowning like a child who was just told that he couldn't go outside and play, Nappa nodded towards the other Saiyan.  
  
"Get lost, brats, before we change our minds."  
  
Struggling to swallow his pride after being insulted, Trunks smiled and walked past the two aliens, dragging Goten along behind him. Once they were past the taller Saiyan, the two boys ran as fast as possible.  
  
Nappa and Radditz laughed at the retreating pair.  
  
"This species is pathetic," sneered Radditz. "I wish this were a little more challenging." He frowned as he watched the two boys disappear in the distance. "I still think it's suspicious that such small children would be out here all alone."  
  
"You're right," muttered Nappa. He turned towards a form that was hidden within the shadows of a nearby tree grove. "My Prince," he stated solemnly. "Should we follow them?"  
  
The figure stepped out of his hiding place. Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans, sneered.  
  
"Yes. I have a strange feeling about them. Especially the purple-haired one."  
  
Bowing, Nappa and Radditz left to follow the unsuspecting Goten and Trunks.

* * *

Slumping onto the ground, the two boys panted for breath. The sight of the Saiyans had been very intimidating. Even if they did have the capability to turn Super Saiyan, that was one fight that neither boy was too eager to get into.  
  
Once he caught his breath, Goten voiced a concern he had since they first had seen the Saiyans.  
  
"Trunks, I thought Radditz hadn't been here with your father and Nappa. Didn't he die before they showed up?"  
  
The other boy nodded.  
  
"Yeah. That's what my father told me. I guess that must be one of the variations of this timeline. Instead of Nappa and Radditz being killed, they survived. This isn't good, Goten. We need to get out of here quick. Let's keep going."  
  
The two boys stood up and set off again for the Western Capital. Trunks only hoped that they wouldn't encounter anymore familiar faces.

* * *

The lock on the doors deactivated, and Bulma and Vegeta ran into the now empty lab. The scientist collapsed in the middle of the room where the machine had been. Wrapping her arms around herself, she began to rock back and forth.  
  
"Trunks-kun," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"Enough, woman."  
  
Vegeta roughly pulled Bulma to her feet. She moved closer to her husband, throwing her arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder. Sighing, Vegeta wrapped his arms around her and murmured in her ear.  
  
"Bulma, stop. You would only have reason to cry if Kakkarot's brat was by himself. He's too dull-witted to take care of himself. Our son is a prince. He can handle whatever they face. I'm sure Trunks will figure out a way to bring them back."  
  
Sniffling, Bulma pulled away and looked into her husband's eyes. He smiled slightly down at her. She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.  
  
"You're right. Trunks is the son of a genius! There's nothing to worry about."  
  
Vegeta snorted, his lips twisting as he resisted smiling. Bulma smiled as well, but the smile soon vanished.  
  
"What's wrong now, woman?" growled the Prince, irritated by his wife's resistance to his comfort.  
  
"I just realized....we have to tell Chi-Chi about this."  
  
The couple exchanged a horrified look. Vegeta couldn't help but think that Goten and Trunks were probably a lot safer than he and his wife were. 


	3. Past Meets Future

Bulma hung up the phone and slumped against the wall. She had just explained to Chi-Chi that their sons had somehow activated a machine that would send them to a parallell universe. The younger woman had reacted better than Bulma had expected. She had only called the scientist a "horrible woman and mother" twelve times. Finally, Goku had taken the phone from his distraught wife and had reassured his long-time friend that everything was OK and they would be over shortly. Grabbing some tylenol, Bulma went to the family room to await the arrival of her friends.   
*******   
Capsule Coorporation loomed over Western Capital. Trunks and Goten made their way through the busy streets towards the familiar building. While passing the street vendors, the younger boy's stomach began to growl.   
"Trunks-kun, can we stop and get some food?" he begged, drool dripping from his chin.   
"No," snapped the other boy. "We have to get those parts and get out of here as soon as possible. I have a feeling that wasn't the last time we're going to see Nappa and Radditz. Not to mention what would happen if we were to cross pathes with the other Z warriors."   
Goten pouted slightly, hoping that it would help him get his way. Obviously that technique only worked on his mother. Trunks kept up his hurried pace towards the company.   
Outside the building a large group of school children had just been let off their bus. In fact, there were several groups of students milling about in a frenzy of excitement and teachers were having a difficult time keeping their individual classes separated. Seizing the opportunity, Trunks grabbed Goten's hand and sneaked into the middle of the nearest group.   
"Act like we belong here," he whispered urgently.   
Trunks then turned and smiled at the closest child as if he knew him. The kid smiled back, not too concerned with who was standing nearby. The teacher in charge of the group vainly attempted to count heads, but with a frustrated sigh surrendered, hoping that her students would have enough common sense to find their way back to the appropriate bus.   
An overly cheerful tour guide approached the pack of children, smiling as if her life depended on it.   
"OK, let me have your attention! Please follow me, children!" she called out over the chattering, ushering them towards the main entrance.   
The students filed into the main floor of Capsule Corp. which housed a giant indoor garden.   
"Wow," various children whispered.   
"This place is huge!" commented one girl.   
"Big deal," muttered Trunks.   
Goten, on the other hand, looked around the room as if he was seeing it for the first time.   
"Neat!" he chirped.   
"Chibi, you are such an idiot," commented Trunks quietly.   
"Let's continue towards the main confrence rooms," stated the guide, waving her arms as if she were directing street traffic.   
From that point on Trunks tuned the lady out. He was waiting for when the group approached the labs. Goten, however, was acting as if he had never stepped into Capsule Corp. in his entire life. He was the most intrigued out of the entire class and he kept asking the guide questions that he should have already known the answer to.   
Finally the moment Trunks was waiting for arrived.   
"Down that way are the labs where all the scientists work really hard to make all the neat things that you buy in the stores," commented the guide, pointing to the right. "We're not allowed to go down there because it's really dangerous. So, if you'll keep moving forward, we'll head towards the Brief's living quarters. We might actually get to meet Dr. Briefs himself, or maybe his wife or daughter."   
The tour group kept moving. Trunks grabbed Goten's arm. Leaning towards him, he whispered in his ear.   
"Now's our chance. Move really fast so she won't see us leaving."   
With that, the two boys phased out of human vision. They reappeared down the hall, near the labs.   
"OK, Goten, leave this to me. Remember, don't touch anything," ordered Trunks.   
Pulling out the blueprints, the two boys snuck into the labs. Trunks settled in front of one of the computer monitors. Checking to make sure Goten was behaving, he looked over his shoulder. His friend stood there smiling innocently.   
Reassured, Trunks turned back to the computer. Using his mother's password, he logged onto the terminal. He began searching through the company's computer files for equipment that would match the machine parts that he was lacking. Unknown to him, he had activated one of the security devices when he had begun the search.   
*****   
Bulma Briefs lay on a lounge chair, sunbathing in the blissful afternoon. To her left she could hear her boyfriend Yamcha and the other Z Warriors sparring. They were all there: Piccolo, Tien, Chaotzu, Krillian, Gohan, and Goku. Ever since the arrival of the Saiyans, the warriors had been training over time. Bulma had offered the large courtyard behind Capsule Corp. for the day. The men and Namek were flying about in frenzy of activity. It had been almost five minutes since she had actually been able to pick up on any of the moves they were making.   
Next to Bulma lay Chi-Chi; she had borrowed a bathing suit and had joined her blue-haired friend in relaxing. Nearby sat Master Roshi. He claimed he had come to give the other fighters some pointers, but the scientist knew he just wanted to drool over her and Chi-Chi in bathing suits.   
At that moment, her wrist-watch began beeping.   
"Is it time to flip over?" questioned Chi-Chi lazily, obviously not too eager to make any movement.   
Master Roshi practically fainted at the idea of the ladies resting on their stomachs with their firm little behinds in the air.   
"No. The security systems has been activated. Someone's hacked into the computer mainframe."   
The fighters picked up on this comment and paused midair.   
"Strange. It says that whoever it is logged in under my name," added Bulma.   
Chi-Chi sat up, looking perplexed.   
"Hey, babe," called Yamcha. "You want us to go check it out?"   
Bulma tensed at the word "babe." She hated it when he called her that in front of their friends.   
"Yeah," she commented, stifling her anger. "But I'm coming too."   
Chi-Chi and Master Roshi stood up also. The entire group set out, following Bulma towards the laboratory.   
*****   
Trunks was deep in thought when he was brought back to reality by Goten's voice.   
"Do you feel that?" asked the other boy.   
Trunks tilted his head and reached out with his ki. And panicked.   
"The Z warriors!" he squeaked.   
The two boys panicked and began searching desperately for a hiding place.   
"Over here," commanded Trunks, dragging Goten into a closet nearby.   
Moments later the lab doors flung open. Bulma marched in along with the rest of the Z fighters. She headed directly towards the computer. She began a quick search to see which files were last viewed. The warriors spread out across the room, searching for the intruder.   
"Whoever it was seemed to have known we were on our way," commented Goku. "They're gone now."   
"What were they after?" asked Krillian, glancing around the room.   
"From what I can tell, the were just doing a basic search of all files. Nothing in particular."   
"What's this?" asked Chi-Chi as she picked up a set of blueprints.   
From inside the closet, Trunks cursed to himself. He had forgotten to retrieve the diagram for the machine in his rush to find shelter.   
"It looks like instructions for building some sort of machine. This doesn't make sense though. This is my handwriting, but I've never seen this before," answered Bulma, studying the paper intently.   
Piccolo frowned. Something was definitely out of place, but he couldn't pinpoint it.   
"What's wrong, Mr. Piccolo," asked a young Gohan, looking up at his mentor.   
"I'm not sure kid," he replied gruffly.   
Trunks silently begged Dende-sama that the others would leave. Unfortantly for him, Dende was Kami-sama yet. Beside him, Goten squirmed and scrunched up his face. Without warning, he sneezed.   
The Z warriors froze.   
"Did you hear that?" questioned Choatzu.   
"Sure did," replied Master Roshi.   
Glaring, Piccolo marched across the laboratory towards the closet in the corner. When he threw open the doors, two small children fell out. They picked themselves up and dusted themselves off. The adults gasped.   
"Hi," the two boys said sheepishly.   
"Hey. You look just like me!" commented Goku leaning down towards Goten.   
The little boy blushed and stepped closer to Trunks.   
"Yeah. I hear that a lot."   
Chi-Chi knelt in front of him.   
"What's your name?"   
"Son Goten. And this is my friend...err...Trunks."   
"Hey. You have the same last name too!" laughed Goku.   
Gohan came up beside his mother and peered at the other boy curioiusly.   
"Hey big brother," stated Goten, smiling at Gohan.   
"Brother?!?!?" everyone shouted simultaneously.   
Trunks hung his head in dispair.   
"We are in so much trouble."


	4. Confrontation

Nappa and Radditz watched from a dark alley as Goten and Trunks joined a group of school children about to enter Capsule Corporation. Radditz's eyes narrowed.   
"Now what could those two possible want from there?" he murmured.   
"Isn't that where the blue-haired woman who knows your brother lives?" asked Nappa.   
The other Saiyan nodded.   
"She is considered a scientist on this planet. She must be fairly intelligent if she figured out the language of the scouter that I lost during battle."   
"What are we going to do about those boys?"   
"We can't go after them. I feel those pathetic warriors' kis. Let's head back and report to his Majesty."   
Nappa nodded to his companion. A few pedestrians let out shouts of fear when the two Saiyans darted out of the alley and up into the air. They speed off back in the direction where Vegeta was waiting for them.   
****   
Trunks and Goten sat at the kitchen table. Bulma had offered them some food in exchange for their story. Goten was gorging on his fifth plate, content to allow Trunks to tell the story of how they arrived. The older boy had explained about Bulma's machine, and how they had come to Capsule Corp. in hopes of repairing the machine and returning home. He divulged the fact that they were from a potential version of the future and that Goten was indeed Goku and Chi-Chi's second child. He left out the details of his own parentage. In fact, Trunks was hoping that he could get through all of this without letting anyone know that he was related to Bulma. Because once that fact was known, he knew they would want to know who his father was. And they wouldn't like the answer.   
The group of adults just listened in shock. Gohan was the only one remotely excited about the situation; he had always wanted a brother or sister to play with. His wish had been granted and he hadn't even had to look for the Dragonballs.   
Trunks looked over at Yamcha, feeling pity for the man. From what he could tell, his mother was still with Yamcha at the moment. They were currently sitting next to each other, with the man's hand resting lightly on Bulma's leg. Trunks wanted to slap him for that.   
With a sigh, Trunks finished his narration and took another small bite out of his food. He didn't want his Saiyan appetite to be apparent.   
"So," he began casually. "When we were on our way over here we ran into two men with funny tails named Nappa and Radditz. Who are they?"   
Goku's smile was immediately replaced with a stern look.   
"Those are Saiyans. They came to this planet to find the Dragonballs. Radditz, unfortunately, is my older brother. He came back to take me to Freeza. While fighting Piccolo, he found out about the Dragonballs and sent for Nappa and another Saiyan named Vegeta. Right now we're trying to keep them from finding all seven balls and summoning Shenlong."   
Trunks nodded, absorbing all of this slowly.   
"Is the other Saiyan on this planet?" he asked cautiously.   
"Yes. Vegeta's the Prince. He's a pretty nasty guy," replied Goku.   
"Yeah, he's a really big jerk. Goes around bragging about being the Prince of a dead race," added Krillian.   
Goten opened his mouth to comment, but Trunks kicked him quickly under the table.   
Bulma was studying Trunks intently from behind the blueprints. His blue eyes were hauntingly familiar. She recognized them from when she looked in the mirror. Somehow she knew that the boy had to be her son, but she also realized that for some odd reason, he didn't want them to know that. She had noted that the boys had deliberately not mentioned Trunks's last name. Noticing that she was studying him, the purple-haired boy blushed and looked down. She laughed in response.   
"Hey you two, since you have no place to stay, why don't you spend the night here? I can work on figuring out your machine and get you two back home. Gohan, you're more than welcome to stay too if it's ok with your mom and dad."   
"Alright!" shouted Gohan. "Do you guys want to go play outside?"   
"Sure!" replied Goten, bouncing down from the table and following the other boy.   
Trunks left the table a little more calmly. Turning to Bulma he smiled.   
"Thanks for letting us stay," he stated, bowing slightly.   
The three kids went outside and were soon rough housing as if they had been friends forever.   
Piccolo noticed how Bulma was watching Trunks. She knew. And he knew that Trunks had to be Bulma's son also. And he had a feeling he knew why the boy was being so quiet about it. Yamcha wasn't his father. The Demon-King couldn't pinpoint who was, but he could definitely tell it wasn't his fellow Z warrior.   
"I can't believe this," stated Krillian as the group watched the three children. "The future?"   
"This is amazing," added Chi-Chi. "That little boy is my son!"   
"Sure is," commented Bulma.   
They exchanged a motherly-instinct look that told Piccolo that he wasn't the only one to pick up on the similarities between Trunks and Bulma.   
"What are we going to do?" asked Yamcha. "I mean, should we ask them if we defeat the Saiyans? But obviously we do if they're alive because that means Earth still exists and Vegeta never gets the Dragonballs."   
"I think it would be dangerous asking them questions about the future," commented Tien. "We might not like all of their answers."   
"At least we know we're all still alive. They seemed fairly use to all of us, like they know us personally," reasoned Choatzu.   
"Just think, if Goku and Gohan are so powerful, imagine how powerful Goten can be!" added Krillian excitedly.   
"Yeah. I would like to spar with him, see how advanced his techniques are. He's bound to know a lot of new stuff," said Goku.   
Bulma sat silently, watching Trunks. She had wanted children for so long. He was a glimpse of that hope fulfilled. She wondered what it must be like living with him. She almost felt sorry for him. Being friends with Goten must be tough; Goten would naturally be stronger since he was a half-Saiyan. Not to mention that Goten was probably more respected as a fighter among the Z warriors. In fact, she didn't even know if Trunks possessed any true fighting skills. Yamcha wasn't really a very strong fighter.   
But what if he wasn't the father?   
That thought had been nagging Bulma since she first realized that Trunks was her future son. She tried to push the idea out of her head. Of course Yamcha was his father. Who else could it possibly be?   
****   
Vegeta frowned at Radditz and Nappa, pondering the news they had just brought him. According to their report, the two mysterious boys had snuck into the residence of one of Goku's friend's, that baka woman named Bulma.   
"What do you think they are up to my Lord?" asked Radditz reverently.   
Vegeta sneered at him, unimpressed by his formality. He knew that Radditz would stab him in the back in a heartbeat if it best suited his interest. Fancy words couldn't fool him. That was the Saiyan way of life.   
"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" asked Vegeta, smiling cruelly.   
Radditz and Nappa smirked in response. The three Saiyans set out for Capsule Corporation. It was time to have some fun with those pathetic Z warriors.   
****   
Goku and the others suddenly tensed.   
"What's wrong?" asked Chi-Chi, sensing the change in their mood.   
"The Saiyans are on their way," replied Piccolo.   
The men quickly exited the building, followed closely behind by Bulma, Chi-Chi, and Master Roshi. Trunks, Goten, and Gohan were all expectedly watching the sky having also sensed the approaching enemy. Trunks shuddered slightly. His father's presence had never felt so....scary.   
The three Saiyans landed in front of the group, Vegeta standing in front of the other two. They sneered at the Z warriors. Moving his attention away from the adults, Vegeta studied the two boys. He noticed that one looked remarkably like a small version of Goku. The other reminded him of the blue-haired woman.   
"What do you want?" demanded Yamcha.   
Vegeta laughed at him.   
"What makes you think that I have to answer to someone as pathetic as you?"   
Yamcha clenched his fists, only causing Vegeta to laugh harder.   
"We just wanted to know who your new friends are," commented Radditz.   
Nappa waltzed over to Trunks, bending down so he was in the child's face.   
"If it isn't the little purple-haired freak," he stated, snickering.   
Trunks glared at him bitterly.   
"Get out of my face."   
"What did you say to me?" asked an astonished Nappa.   
"I said, get out of my face," repeated Trunks slowly.   
Nappa straightened himself out.   
"Did you hear what that kid said to me?" he asked Radditz and Vegeta.   
The pair laughed in reply.   
"Getting told off by a mere child. Pathetic," stated Vegeta.   
Nappa growled and spun back towards Trunks.   
"You little brat! You're going to get it!"   
The Saiyan swung for the child. To his surprise, Trunks caught his hand mere inches from his face.   
"No. You're gonna get it," the boy stated simply. 


	5. Things Heat Up

The mixed group of humans, Saiyans, and one Namek stared at Trunks in horror. The kid didn't know what he was getting himself into.  
  
Quite on the contrary, Trunks knew exactly what he had just done. While Nappa might be larger in stature, the little boy was by far the stronger of the two. He knew that he would have to curb his power, not only to keep from destroying Nappa in one blow, but also to keep anyone from suspecting his Saiyan background.  
  
Trunks released Nappa's hand and stared at the tall Saiyan with ice-cold blue eyes. Without warning, he lashed out with a swift kick to the older alien's stomach. Nappa doubled over in pain. The boy then used an upper-cut to send the Saiyan onto his back on the ground. Trunks did all of this without even raising his ki. The warriors stared at the boy in utter amazement.  
  
"How?" whispered Krillian.  
  
"Oh, man!" stated Goku, eyes wide.  
  
None of the Z warriors could have knocked Nappa out like that in so little time. Vegeta stood there, growing angrier by the minute. That arrogant little brat wasn't going to get away with thinking that he could defeat one of the proud race of the Saiyans. With a scream, Vegeta charged on Trunks.  
  
The boy turned just in time to see the Prince of all Saiyans rushing towards him. Panicking, he knew that he might have to do some serious fighting to fend his father off. Fortunately, Goten came to the rescue.  
  
Flying into the enraged Prince, Goten kneed the Saiyan in the crotch. Vegeta fell to the ground like a rock. Trunks winced; his chances of being born in this reality had just been considerably lowered.  
  
"You little brat," sputtered Vegeta, trying to stand despite the pain.  
  
He focused a ki attack at Goten. Screaming, he released the energy ball. With relative ease, the younger boy deflected the attack with his hand.  
  
By this time all of the Z warrior were staring at Goten with mouths wide open. That blast would have knocked them out. Yet, there stood the boy, unfazed by Vegeta's onslaught. Goten effortlessly countered every blow that the Prince made.  
  
"Shesh," he commented. "I thought you were supposed to be stronger than this." Vegeta glared at the young boy.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded.  
  
"He's my son from the future," commented Goku, grinning.  
  
This only made the Prince madder.  
  
"I will not be defeated by any offspring of that fool Kakkarot!"  
  
Goten yelped as he barely dodged Vegeta's next attack. The odds were now in favor of the older Saiyan; the connection to Kakkarot had encouraged him to fight even harder against the young boy.  
  
"Goten! Keep your defense up! Stop making so many stupid mistakes!" chided Trunks from the side-lines.  
  
Goten glanced over at his friend, letting down his guard for a moment. Vegeta used the opportunity to land a punch in the child's face. Chi-Chi screamed in fright for her future child. Goten flew backwards, but flipped mid-air and landed gracefully on his feet.  
  
"Owie," he whined, rubbing his cheek.  
  
Vegeta stood there, panting, staring at the young demi-Saiyan incredulously. He couldn't believe that the blow hadn't knocked Goten unconscious.  
  
"Kame...."  
  
Goten leaned forward, focusing his power into his hands.  
  
"..hame..."  
  
The energy ball grew brighter with intensity.  
  
"Goten! Not so strong! You might kill him!" shouted Trunks.  
  
The black-haired boy acknowledged his friend's advice and withdrew some of his ki.  
  
"HA!"  
  
With a scream, Goten released his attack. It plowed into the Prince, knocking him down. It took several minutes for Vegeta to recover. He barely managed to return to his feet.  
  
"Your majesty," whispered Radditz, offering to help the wounded Saiyan.  
  
Growling, Vegeta shrugged off his companion's aid. He stood still, knowing that even if he attacked, it would be useless.  
  
Trunks let out a sigh of relief. Not too much harm was done.  
  
Vegeta opened his mouth to make a snide comment, when a light flickered to life on the screen on his scouter. A second later, similar lights appeared on the other Saiyan's scouters. The Prince studied the display for a moment, his scowl deepening. Radditz and Nappa on the other hand had a look of fear. "He's coming," whispered Nappa.  
  
"We're going to die," added Radditz.  
  
"Stop that foolish talk," snapped Vegeta. "This just means we have to find the Dragonballs faster."  
  
Goku and the others exchanged puzzled looks.  
  
"What's going on?," demanded Piccolo. He was the only one who wasn't intimidated by the Saiyans.  
  
"Lord Freeza has decided to pay your little planet a visit," sneered Vegeta. "He probably intercepted Radditz's transmission. Doubtless, he's after the Dragonballs too."  
  
"Freeza?" asked Goten. "Big deal."  
  
"Yeah," added Trunks. "He's a big wuss."  
  
"You little brats! You have no idea what you are talking about! Ignorant pests," snarled the Prince.  
  
"Once Freeza arrives, we're as good as dead," added Nappa. "Ever since he found the talisman, he's next to invincible. I'm sure not even the Legendary Super Saiyan could defeat him."  
  
"Talisman?" questioned Trunks, beginning to feel uneasy. Just because the Freeza from his timeline would have been weak in comparison to him, didn't mean that the same was true for this timeline's Freeza.  
  
"The Talisman of Nodimaet. According to legend, it increases its owners power fifty times," explained Radditz. For a third class Saiyan, he was quite knowledgeable. Trunks gulped.  
  
"That's not good."  
  
"Not good at all," stated Goten.  
  
"As much as I hate to leave with out finishing our little match," sneered Vegeta, "we had best be off. We have some training to do."  
  
The Saiyans flew off, leaving the Z warriors to contemplate their new dilemma. "This isn't good," commented Piccolo calmly.  
  
"Freeza times fifty," stuttered Trunks, twitching slightly.  
  
"Yeah, and Dad had to go Super Saiyan to beat him at his original power," added Goten.  
  
"Super Saiyan?" asked Krillian.  
  
"So it really does exist," muttered Goku. "And I have been able to achieve that level?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. It's not that hard. Me and Tr...."  
  
Goten was cut off by Trunks stepping on his toe. The purple-haired boy gave his friend a meaningful look.  
  
"In our timeline, Goku-san goes Super Saiyan in order to defeat Freeza," explained Trunks.  
  
He gave a side-ways look to the bald monk.  
  
"But Krillian-san had to die first. It was his death that made Goku-san so mad that he became a Super Saiyan."  
  
Krillian paled slightly.  
  
"I died?"  
  
"Don't worry. We brought you back to life with the Dragonballz," added Trunks quickly.  
  
"Oh," replied the monk, not really looking reassured.  
  
"What about us?" asked Yamcha, gesturing to the others.  
  
"You were already dead. The Saiyans killed you," answered Trunks.  
  
"Man, this doesn't look good," grumbled Yamcha.  
  
"But things aren't exactly the same as our timeline," replied Trunks, glancing in the direction that the Saiyans had left. "There's still hope."  
  
"The kid's right. We still have a chance," stated Piccolo. "I for one am going to train. Do whatever you choose."  
  
The others nodded.  
  
"There's no way I'm going to let this Freeza destroy the Earth," stated Goku, balling his fist.  
  
"Yeah!" added Gohan, Yamcha, and Krillian.  
  
"We're with you Goku," stated Tien.  
  
The tall Saiyan turned to Goten.  
  
"You want to train with us?"  
  
"Sure!" exclaimed the small boy.  
  
Trunks frowned slightly. He felt left out. Sighing, he tried to remind himself that it was a good thing that they didn't realize his fighting potential.  
  
"What about you, kid?" asked Yamcha, bending down towards Trunks.  
  
"Yeah. You seemed more than able to hold you own against the Saiyans," added Krillian.  
  
Piccolo eyed the child suspiciously. Obviously the others hadn't realized that the boy hadn't even tapped into his potential energy during the fight.  
  
Trunks looked down at the ground and blushed.  
  
"No thanks. I'll just help Bulma-san try to repair the machine," replied Trunks.  
  
"But Trunks-kun..." began Goten.  
  
The boy looked at his friend and smiled.  
  
"Don't worry about me, Chibi. Make sure you get Freeza for me," he said, winking. "Sure thing!" stated Goten, smiling.  
  
"Hey, you guys. Feel free to stick around and train. My father's almost through with a gravity stimulator. It was going to be used to train astronauts for working on other planets, but I'm sure Dad won't mind you using it to spar. The advanced gravity will help you get stronger," stated Bulma.  
  
"Great idea, Bulma!" said Goku.  
  
"Yeah. Good one babe."  
  
Bulma gave Yamcha an odd look, and turned to Chi-Chi.  
  
"You're more than welcome to stay too. I'm going to need lots of help cooking for all these guys."  
  
"Sure," stated the younger woman.  
  
The two women headed into the building, chatting excitedly. They seemed to think it was going to be one big sleep over party.  
  
With the group distracted with making preparations, Trunks pulled Goten off to the side.  
  
"We're in lots of trouble, aren't we?" asked the younger boy.  
  
"Oh, yeah. What are we going to do?"  
  
"Yeah, especially if you can't turn...you know," Goten stated, looking at Piccolo. They knew about his exceptional hearing.  
  
"No matter what, I'll be there for you. Promise," stated Trunks.  
  
"Promise," replied Goten.  
  
The two boys clasped each other's hands. Together, they were invincible.  
  
******  
  
A hysteric Chi-Chi sat in the family room of Capsule Corp., accompanied by her husband. Vegeta sat on the couch opposite of her, his hands covering his sensitive ears.  
  
"Kakkarot, shut your mate up now before I shut her up myself," he warned.  
  
"Chi-Chi, please calm down," cooed Goku.  
  
The woman sniffled, and buried her head into her husband's shoulder. Even when she was distraught, she had enough sense not to anger the Saiyan prince.  
  
"What do we do now?" questioned Goku, studying the other couple. Bulma lay across the couch, her head resting in her husband's lap. Goku couldn't help smiling slightly as he watched Vegeta stroke Bulma's hair. As much as the two tried to deny it, they truly loved each other.  
  
"All we can do is hope that they can fix the machine. I didn't make a duplicate machine and it would take months to complete another one. We have to remember that Goten and Trunks are half-Saiyan; they aren't helpless. They'll find a way to come home," stated Bulma.  
  
The two couples sat in silence. All they could do is wait. 


	6. Divine Intervention

Goku and the others sat around a large banquet table in one of the many conference rooms in Capsule Corp. The vast array of food that was spread across the table was quickly vanishing thanks to the appetites of the assorted fighters.  
Trunks sat picking at his food. He and his mother had been trying all afternoon to fix the machine with no luck. He was beginning to wonder if he and Goten would ever be able to return home. If not, he was going to have a nervous break down very soon; he had never imagined it would be so hard to pretend to not be Vegeta and Bulma's son.  
After dinner, Chi-Chi and Bulma set out to clean up the mess made by the dinner party and the group of warriors headed outside to do some training. It was at that rare moment in the day, right before twilight, where it was exactly getting dark, but it wasn't full daylight either. Trunks had followed the others outside. He wasn't needed inside and he had nothing better to do, so he sat on the grass, watching the fighters stretch carefully in preparation for sparring.  
Piccolo was advising Gohan and Goten and which stretches would best help loosen up their muscles. Glancing towards the lonely Trunks, the Namek started slightly. The lavender-haired boy was leaning up against a tree, arms folded across his chest, one eyebrow arched as he watched the group. Piccolo couldn't help but think that he looked remarkably like a certain alien prince. Banishing the thought from his head (Bulma and Vegeta....impossible), the tall, green fighter focused his attention back on the demi-Saiyans in front of him.  
"Hey, Goten!" called out Goku. "Wanna spar?"  
"Sure!" squeaked the boy excitedly.  
Goten had fought with Vegeta before, so he wasn't too frightened at the idea of sparring with his father.  
The two Sons took fighting stances. The rest of the group moved off the side near Trunks, eagerly awaiting the fight. They weren't disappointed.  
Goku started off, rushing fiercely at Goten. His hands blurred as he began aiming hundreds of punches at his future son. Goten blocked all of them efficiently. Goku kicked the boy's feet from underneath him, but Goten was able to catch himself and flip back onto his feet. The younger Saiyan aimed a ki blast at Goku. As planned, Goku dodged. Goten blurred out of view and reappeared behind his father, aiming another ki attack. Goku was caught off guard and was knocked down by the blast. Sitting up he smiled.  
"Wow! I'm impressed!" stated Goku.  
"Thanks," Goten answered, blushing.  
"I can't believe you were able to knock down Goku," gushed Krillian.   
"Yeah. None of us can boast of something like that," added Tien.  
Goten just laughed and scratched the back of his head, looking identical to his father.  
"Hey, think you can teach me how to become a Super Saiyan?" asked Goku, being both serious and light-hearted at the same time.  
"I can try," replied the small boy, looking a little unsure.   
"Great! So, what's step one?"  
A chorus of deep, rumbling laughter broke out behind the group.   
"That's just like Son. Always eager to move to the next step," rang out Kami's clear voice.  
"Yep, that's Goku alright," answered King Kai.  
Unbeknownst to the group, the divine pair had been observing the previous match with great interest.  
"Kami! King Kai! What are you doing here?" asked a startled Goku.   
Piccolo growled slightly, unhappy at the appearance of his counterpart.  
"With Freeza on his way, we thought you could use some coaching," answered King Kai. "Besides, we were interested in the two new kis that we picked up on earlier."  
The being turned towards Trunks and Goten, studying them intently.  
"Hello, Kaio-sama. Kami-sama," said Trunks reverently.  
"But Trunks-kun, that's not Dende," stated Goten, perplexed.  
"Dende?" asked Kami.  
"Dende-sama is Kami during our time," replied Trunks. "You and Piccolo fused in order to fight a monster named Cell. The fusion was...er...permanent."  
Behind him, Piccolo made a choking noise. Kami, however, reacted calmly, merely nodding at the information.  
"I guess you already know that Goten is my second son," stated Goku, motioning to the child. "And this is his best friend Trunks."  
King Kai nodded. He turned to the older child, focusing his thoughts on the boy. His eyes widened in panic.  
"Oh my! You're...."  
The divine being trailed off when he realized the small boy had begun to blush and Kami-sama had grabbed his arm, apply a great deal of pressure to it. He had almost blurted out that Trunks was Vegeta's son. Clearing his throat, he was glad that he had been able to stop himself.  
"He's what?" snapped Piccolo.  
The other Z fighters regarded him curiously.  
"Nothing," replied King Kai smoothly. "I was mistaken about something."  
Trunks smiled gratefully at the diving being. Breathing a sigh of relief he relaxed.  
"So," stated Kami, changing the subject. "You were speaking of Super Saiyans?"  
Piccolo grunted, perturbed that he was so close to having found out what exactly he was sensing from Trunks.  
"Yeah," state Goku cheerfully. "Goten was going to teach me how to change into one."  
All eyes focused on the smaller version of Goku. He blushed, not used to being the center of attention.  
"Well," he stated, since the warriors were obviously waiting for the lesson to begin. "I guess the best way is to show you."  
Trunks smirked. This was going to be interesting.  
Goten walked a few paces off and turned back towards the group. Finding the center of his powers, the boy concentrated on focusing his energy. He could feel the power building up inside of him. Nearby the group began to shift uneasily as they felt Goten's ki rise drastically. His ki finally steadied at a level that was far higher than even Goku's. Goten was surrounded by a light field of pure energy, causing his hair to flow gently, as if in a breeze.  
"That's a Super Saiyan?" asked Goku, amazed at the level that his son had reached.  
Trunks laughed.  
"Not quite," he stated.  
The group looked at him in amazement.  
"You mean that's not a Super Saiyan?" asked Krillian incredulously.  
"Nope."  
At that moment Goten let out a scream. The energy that had surrounded him flared out. His hair spiked and turned golden; his eyes turned a turquoise blue. The initial rush of ki subsided. Goten smiled at the awestruck group.  
"That's a Super Saiyan," commented Trunks.  
*****  
The three Saiyans all flinched when Nappa and Vegeta's scouters suddenly shattered.   
"What the...." trailed off Vegeta.  
The three aliens looked at each other.  
"Did you feel that energy release?" questioned Nappa nervously.  
"Is it Freeza? How could he have gotten here so soon?" asked Radditz.  
"That wasn't Freeza," growled Vegeta. "It came from that woman's home. What are those stupid warriors up to?"  
Vegeta hovered in mid-air, thinking. Suddenly, he set out at a blinding speed towards the compound. Exchanging puzzled looks, Nappa and Radditz set out after him.  
*****  
Goku and the others could do little more than stand and stare in awe. Even Kami and King Kai were speechless.  
"What on earth was that light? Is everyone alright?" asked Bulma as she and Chi-Chi stepped outside.  
The women had been washing dishes when they had seen a brilliant light flash. They had assumed that the Z warriors had managed to blow up part of Capsule Corp.  
Chi-Chi yelped when she saw Goten. Bulma's eyes only widened.  
Trunks and Goten laughed at everyone's reactions. This was fun.  
A minute later Vegeta and company landed in the backyard. The group looked disbelieving at the small golden-haired warrior.  
"Who's that?" demanded the Prince, pointing at Goten.  
"That's my son from the future," replied Goku.  
"That is not! He didn't look like that. Now who is that?"  
Piccolo snorted and smiled devilishly.  
"It's the same child, he's just turned into a Super Saiyan."  
"Impossible!" hissed Vegeta. "I'm the Prince of all Saiyans and I haven't been able to turn into a Super Saiyan yet. There's no way that pathetic brat of Kakkarot's has been able to achieve that level before I have!"  
"'Fraid so, monkey-boy," laughed Yamcha.  
Vegeta growled.  
"Don't you dare call me that ever again."  
"Or what? Do you really think you can handle him?" asked Yamcha, motioning towards Goten.  
Vegeta turned his attention back to the boy. He was radiating power. The Prince knew that the child could kill him and Radditz and Nappa. But the boy only smiled up at him, looking at him with what could possibly be mistaken as affection.  
"Vegeta, there's no point in fighting against us," commented Goku. "Listen, we're both enemies with this Freeza guy. Why don't you join us? It will up our chances if we work together."  
The Prince spun towards Goku, snarling.  
"If you think that I would lower myself to fight with a third-rate, low-class, pathetic excuse for a Saiyan, such as yourself, you are even dumber than I thought."  
"OK, have it your way. But if you change your mind, the offer will always be open."  
Growling, Vegeta took off, followed closely by his lackeys. Goku followed their ki and noticed that they didn't go far off.  
"Am I hear things or did you just offer to let his royal pain-in-the-ass join us?" asked Yamcha.  
"Goku, you weren't serious, were you?" questioned Chi-Chi, scared of the thought of having the psychopathic killer near her family.  
"Of course I was serious," replied Goku. "Vegeta, Radditz, and Nappa are incredibly strong; they would really help out in the fight against Freeza."  
Kami shook his head.  
"Goku, my friend, your compassion never ceases to amaze me."  
Goku shrugged off the comment; he didn't understand what was the big deal.  
"Well, guys, shall I suggest we get back to training?" he asked.  
*****  
That night, Trunks lay awake in the large bed that he shared with Goten. Bulma had offered them separate rooms, but the boys had insisted that they would feel better if they stayed together. Trunks was having second thoughts since Goten was currently taking up three-fourths of the queen sized bed and nearly all of the covers. Plus, he snored.  
Trunks rolled over, watching his friend's chest rise and fall as he breathed. Often he wished he could be as carefree as Goten was. But he was too much like his father. Trunks didn't see life through innocent eyes. He was all too well aware of the bad stuff that was out there too. He had once woke up in the middle of the night from a bad dream and had snuck to his parents' room. He had sat outside their bedroom door and listened as his father had told his mother stories of what it was like to live with Freeza. He hadn't been able to sleep for a week afterwards. He never told his parents that he had overheard their conversation, and that he knew some of what his father had been through. That night he had realized how very lucky he was. Sure, his father was cranky, and his parents fought a lot, but he knew that they loved him and they loved each other.   
Trunks mind wandered to the fact that Freeza was on his way to Earth. Soon he would see face to face the man who had made his father's life miserable. He wished that the Z warriors weren't around and that he didn't have to hide his power. He wanted to make Freeza pay. 


	7. Close Call

The next day dawned bright and cheery. After a light breakfast of eggs, waffles, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and toast, Bulma and Trunks headed towards the lab and the Z warriors assembled in the outer courtyard to begin morning training. Goku wasn't too surprised to see Vegeta and company perched on the privacy wall, waiting for their arrival. The Prince was having a hard time keeping Nappa and Radditz in check, who were begging to be allowed to plunder Capsule Corp's refridgerator.  
"So, Vegeta. Have second thoughts?" inquired Goku.  
The short Saiyan snorted in response.  
"We just thought we would watch. It's been a long time since we've had a good laugh," he replied.  
Goku shrugged off the comment. Turning to the group, he split the warriors into sparring partners. For the first few hours, they trained relentlessly. From their outlook, the Saiyans kept up a steady flow of snide comments. Finally, tiring of their mind game since it seemed to have no effect on the group of earth fighters, Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz began their own training. An all out competition between the two groups began. The fighters pushed themselves to the limits, trying to out do their opponents. From the sidelines, Kami-sama shook his head.  
"Gohan and Goten are acting more mature than the adults," he commented, turning towards his divine friend.  
King Kai chuckled.  
"Are you really surprised?"  
"Not really."  
Finally lunch time arrived. Yamcha, Tien, Choatzu, Gohan and Krillian slumped to the ground, completely exhausted. Goku was hunched over, wiping sweat from his brow. Piccolo and Goten seemed fairly unfazed by the rigorous routine. The other Saiyans were trying hard to conceal their exhaustion.  
At that moment, Chi Chi marched out of the kitchen. Sending a nervous glance towards the aliens, she addressed the group.  
"Lunch is ready. Come and get it."  
She was practically trampled as the fighters made a mad dash for the banquet table. Vegeta and his minions flew off to find their meal elsewhere.  
Bulma and Trunks were already sitting at the table, both covered with oil. Goten flopped down next to his life-long best friend.  
"How's it going?"  
"Good," replied Trunks cheerfully. "We found some equipment that can be salvaged and made into the parts we need. It will take a while, but it's possible."  
"Alright! You're a genius, Trunks!" chirped Goten, throwing his arms around his companion and giving him a bear hug.  
"He's not the only genius," stated Yamcha, leaning down and kissing Bulma on the cheek.  
No one noticed Trunks glaring at him.  
"You think you're going to stick around for when Freeza shows up?" asked Krillian. "We could really use the help, Goten."  
"Absolutely not!" shrieked Chi Chi. "It's bad enough that Gohan-kun has to face that icky alien, let alone my other son who hasn't even been born yet."  
"But Chi Chi, he's a Super Saiyan," commented Goku. "We don't have to worry about...."  
"Not worry? Not worry? How can you tell me not to worry at a time like this? Don't you care about our children. They're your sons. Honestly, Goku, you take this fighting way too lightly....."  
The group spent the rest of lunch quietly eating as they listened to Chi Chi rant and rave about the dangers of being a fighter. This provided an incentive for the men to hurriedly finish their meals and head back to training. Not long after they had come back outside, did Vegeta and the others show up once more.   
The afternoon was spent mostly on Goten teaching Goku how to focus his energy and turn into a Super Saiyan. The youth found it difficult to explain to his father what to do; it had just come naturally to him. Vegeta's constant remarks also made the lesson difficult. He kept insisting that "the brat" didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about. The rest of the time, he bragged that he would be the first to reach Super Saiyan and "Kakkarot" might as well give up before he embarassed himself.  
At about 4:00, Trunks wandered outside and joined the others sitting off to the side. The first time that the Saiyan Prince made a comment, the boy had to cover his mouth to keep himself from laughing. He had always found his father's obsession with out doing Goku as being humorous. His chuckling earned him an intense glare from Vegeta.  
Trunks then forced himself to focus on Goten's "lesson." He found that he kept having to bite his tongue; there was a good deal of information that he wanted to add to his friend's commentary. But he knew that it would look incredibly suspicious if he acted as if he knew anything about being a Super Saiyan.  
By the end of the day, Goku was able to raise his ki considerably, but he was still far away. Ignoring Vegeta's barage of demeaning comments about third-rate Saiyans, Goku smiled cheerfully.  
"Well, there's always tomorrow."  
The group of fighters returned indoors, leaving the Prince to fume that he had been ignored. Growling to his cohorts, the Saiyan set off, Nappa and Radditz following behind him.  
That night, after sunset, Trunks pulled Goten off to the side.  
"Let's sneak out and spar a little bit. I'm getting antsy. I can't take much more of this being inside all day."  
"Sure," agreed Goten, looking forward to a "real" fight.  
Stepping out into the cool night air, the two boys began to stretch.  
"Remember, we can't raise our kis too much. We don't want to attract attention," stated Trunks, pointing towards the building.  
"Gotcha."  
The two faced off and began to fight.   
Trunks enjoyed every minute of it. His muscles had been dying to be properly excercised ever since he had arrived. He had to fight. It was a part of his Saiyan blood. He was a warrior, just like his father.  
Entranced, Trunks began to forget about controlling his power. All that mattered was the fight. And winning. His attacks became fiercer. Goten smiled in response. It felt good to not hinder his abilities for the fear of hurting someone.   
The fighting escalated until Goten was forced to turn Super Saiyan in order to drive Trunks off. Instinctively, the purple-haired boy matched his ki to his comrade's. It was only when he saw the look of panic on Goten's face, did Trunks realized that he also had jumped into Super Saiyan mode. Quickly, he dropped his ki, returning to his energy to its ordinary level. He wasn't a minute too soon.  
A moment later the earth fighters, along with Kami, King Kai, Bulma, and Chi Chi, burst out of the building. Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz appeared also. The two groups had been attracted by the enormous amount of ki that the two boys had released.  
"Son Goten! What on earth do you think you're doing?" screeched Chi Chi. "Turning Super Saiyan in a fight against Trunks! You could have killed him!"  
Forgetting that Trunks was actually the stronger of the two, tears filled Goten's blue eyes.   
"I don't know Chi Chi. Trunks' ki was pretty high up there too," noted Krillian. "I think he was holding his own."  
Trunks shifted nervously, silently praying that no one had been able to distinguish that Goten's wasn't the only ki which had reached Super Saiyan level. The boy noticed that Piccolo was eyeing him suspiciously.  
"Goten, it's OK. Trunks is alright. You just have to remember to keep your powers in check," stated Goku soothingly, embracing his son.  
"Stupid, dolt. Not much of a friend, are you?" sneered Vegeta, not wanting to miss the chance to inflict pain, even if it was only emotional.  
Goten sniffled.  
"I didn't mean to," he whimpered.  
"Hey, yo! It's OK. I'm alright. No harm done," stated Trunks as he approached his young friend, wrapping his arms around Goten. "Don't cry, Chibi."  
"How sweet," sneered Vegeta.  
"Awwww. They're boyfriends," cracked Nappa.  
"Grow up, freak," snarled Trunks.  
"You little....."  
Radditz grabbed Nappa's arm, refraining him.  
"I think I'm going to be sick to my stomach," announced the Prince. "Come. We have training to do."  
The three aliens set off for the city limits once more.   
As the group headed back into the building, Bulma walked up to Trunks. The woman ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. The two had grown close during their time working on the machine together.  
"You take care of Goten, don't you?" asked the scientist, studying the small boy intently.  
Trunks shrugged.  
"He's my best friend. I'm supposed to."  
With that comment, Trunks headed off to join Goten who had already gone back inside. Bulma lingered outdoors, staring up at the glittering stars in the night sky. Somewhere in that cold vastness, an enemy was approaching. Yet, things seemed almost picture-perfect on earth. Even over the period of a single day, the scientist had grown very attached to Trunks. She couldn't imagine life without him greeting her with a bright smile every morning. Bulma found herself wishing that the machine would never be repaired and that Trunks and Goten wouldn't return to their homes and loved ones. Her heart twinged slightly; she technically wasn't Trunks' family, even though she so desperately wanted to be.  
A voice shattered the solitude.  
"Hey, babe. You OK?"  
Tensing up, Bulma turned to find Yamcha standing behind her. Her anger melted away when she saw the concerned look on his face.  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied.  
The ex-bandit pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. She allowed him to kiss her gently even though her thoughts were still with the stars above.  
******  
Bulma stared in amazement as Goku and Vegeta sat side by side on the couch. She had never seen her husband be so tolerant of the younger Saiyan's presence. She knew that the disapperance of Trunks and Goten probably had a lot to do with the almighty Prince's subdued behavior.  
Goku had been staring off into space absently, letting his mind wander. He found that by zoning out, he could control the urge to go hysterical over the situation. He left the theatrics to Chi Chi.  
The friendly warrior was jolted out of his daze by Vegeta's deep voice.  
"Did you know," the Prince stated slowly, "that when Goten first began talking, he called me 'Da da'?"  
Goku blinked in surprise.  
"No, Chi Chi never told me."  
Vegeta smiled slightly.  
"Your wife attacked me with a frying pan when she overheard him say it. He had heard Trunks refer to me as Daddy plenty of times, so he just assumed that he could call me the same thing."  
The taller Saiyan chuckled.  
"I bet it drove you crazy having a low-class brat calling you 'daddy'."  
"I have never been more insulted in my life," stated Vegeta dryly.  
From the kitchen, Bulma and Chi Chi watched their husbands.  
"Please say they aren't actually bonding in there?" stated the dark-haired housewife with a smile.  
"I don't think hell has frozen over quite yet," replied Bulma. 


	8. Trouble Arrives

It's exam week so this may be the last chapter I post for awhile. I apologize in advance. Hopefully I'll have more up soon. See ya! ~ ladymoonlight  
  
  
  
  
Bulma stretched and yawned leisurely, grimacing as the bright morning sun filtered in through her windows. Poking Yamcha, who was snoring beside her, the scientist gathered her clothes and headed towards the shower. Yamcha untangled himself from the sheets and sat up.  
"Want me to join you?" he offered in a sexy voice.  
"No thanks," Bulma called.  
Yamcha frowned. That wasn't the reaction that he had wanted. He sighed to himself and put on his fighting gi. He was stealthily moving towards the bathroom door when he heard a knock on the door.  
"Come in," he called out.  
The door slowly creaked open and Trunks warily entered the room. He frowned when he caught sight of the tall warrior.  
"I think I'm going to be sick," he muttered.  
"What was that?" asked the ex-bandit.  
"Er...nothing," quickly covered Trunks. "Where's ...um...Bulma-san?"  
Yamcha bit his lower lip. He decided to test a theory he had.  
"Your mother is in the shower."  
Trunks nodded, then suddenly blinked.  
"What did you say?" he asked incredulously.   
"Come on, Trunks, it's kinda obvious Bulma's your mom. The hair, the eyes, the way she instantly took to you...." Yamcha trailed off.  
Trunks' gaze wandered around the room as he tried not to focus on the older man's face.  
"Who's your father?" asked Yamcha, his voice barely audible.  
The boy looked up at him with wide eyes.  
"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice trembling with fear.  
"Whatever connection that Bulma feels between you and her is there because she's your mother. There's no such connection between you and me. If I were your father, there would be something there, wouldn't it? But when I see you, I just see a kid, not someone who means something to me."  
Trunks adverted his eyes.  
"I...I'd rather not talk about this. Tell Bulma-san that I'm in the lab waiting for her."  
The young boy left without another word. Yamcha shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Bulma burst into the room, nothing but a towel wrapped around her delicate frame. She cast him a mischievous look as she went about the room gathering clean clothes.   
"I think I'm going to head downstairs for breakfast now," commented Yamcha weakly.  
"OK," replied Bulma, slightly disappointed.  
Bulma fidgeted slightly as she watched Yamcha head out the door. She had overheard the conversation between him and Trunks. Growling, Bulma flopped down and began to pull a brush roughly through her hair.  
'How dare he question Trunks like that. Of course Trunks is his son. Who else could be the father?' she argued inwardly.  
The brush snagged a tangle, causing Bulma to yelp in pain.  
"That's it," she declared to the empty room. "I'm going to find out for sure."  
Marching towards the door, the scientist set out in search of a certain former Demon King.  
Piccolo was outside in Mrs. Brief's prize garden, meditating quietly. As much as he cared for Gohan, he enjoyed a few blissful moments of solitude away from the child's overflowing energy.  
He opened his eyes when he felt the ki of a very disturbed Bulma Briefs walk towards him.  
"Piccolo-san, I need to talk to you," she demanded.  
The Namek simply looked at her, somewhat admiring her for the bravery to be so forward with the Demon King.   
"Yes?" he replied coolly.  
"I'm Trunks' mother, aren't I," she stated more than asked.  
She received an affirmative grunt.  
"And Yamcha isn't the father."  
Piccolo twitched involuntarily and sweatdropped.  
"Thought so," murmured Bulma. "Do you have any ideas who it is?"  
The Namek shifted uncomfortably.  
"Trunks has a fairly strong fighting aura, so his father was definitely a warrior. Anything else would be pure speculation," stated Piccolo.  
Bulma chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully.  
"Who could it be?" she muttered more to herself than to Piccolo.  
The Namek grunted and shifted, trying to hint that now that she had her answers, she could leave him alone.   
"Thanks Piccolo-san," stated the woman, setting out towards the labs.  
Piccolo watched her leave, shaking his head. As much as he wanted to know the identity of Trunks' father, he couldn't help feeling uneasy knowing that Bulma was searching too. Trying to clear his mind, the alien fighter closed his eyes and steadied his breathing once more. Within moments he was interrupted by Gohan coming up behind him and throwing his arms around the warrior's neck.  
"Whatcha doing all by yourself, Piccolo-san?" asked Gohan innocently.  
Sighing in defeat, Piccolo stood up, the young boy still draped around his shoulders like a second cape.  
"Alright! Piggy-back ride!" squealed the demi-Saiyan.  
Piccolo sweatdropped and grunted but made no effort to extricate himself from the child's hold. He headed off towards where the other warriors had gathered, Gohan shouting with glee the entire way.  
Back inside the labs, Trunks and Bulma had begun working on altering a few spare parts for the machine. The two hadn't spoken since she had walked into the room. She kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Part of her wanted to ask him point blank about whom his father was, but she knew that the question would unnerve Trunks and possibly push him away. So, Bulma suffered silently. For a woman who often openly voiced her opinion, this was torture.   
The silence between the pair was finally broken when Trunks tilted his head slightly and smirked.  
"Vegeta-san and the others have returned," he stated.  
"How do you know?"  
"I can feel their kis," he replied, returning to work. "Vegeta doesn't seem to be in a good mood either. Probably because of Kakkarot."  
Bulma stared at the child blank.  
"What did you say?" she asked.  
Trunks winced when he realized his mistake.  
"Oops. I meant Goku. 'Kakkarot' must have gotten stuck in my head after listening to them all afternoon yesterday," he stated casually.  
"Oh," replied Bulma, looking away.  
She paused before she continued.  
"Are Vegeta and the other Saiyans still alive in your time?" she asked carefully.  
Trunks dropped the screwdriver that he had been using.  
"I probably shouldn't tell you that," he answered quickly. "I don't want to mess up your reality or anything."  
Bulma watched the boy intently. She noticed that he was shaking slightly.  
"Vegeta's still a threat in your world, isn't he?" she said softly, mistaking his reaction for fear.  
Trunks opened his mouth to respond, but stopped suddenly. He seemed to be focusing on something far away, something that couldn't be seen with his eyes.  
"Oh, no," he whispered, taking a step back.  
"Trunks-kun, what is it?" cried Bulma, gently grabbing his shoulders.  
He looked up at her; there was a trace of fear in his eyes.  
"Someone's just arrived on earth. A bunch of someones."  
Outside Bulma could hear the other warriors shouting in surprise. The pair hurried outdoors to where the group was. They were all staring off in the direction that Trunks had been gazing towards.  
"What's going on, guys?" demanded Bulma.  
"It seems we have some visitors," commented Kami calmly.  
From their corner in the courtyard, Vegeta was ranting and raving in the Saiyan language. Nappa and Radditz both wore solemn expressions on their faces.  
"It's the Ginyu Force," Radditz explained.  
"The what?" asked Goku, confused.  
"One of Freeza's teams of elite warriors," replied Nappa with a snort.  
Goten turned to Trunks.  
"Didn't our dads say something about fighting them?" he asked the older boy.  
"Yeah," replied Trunks. "From what they said, they weren't too big of a deal."  
"What?!?!" screeched Vegeta. "You arrogant little brat! I highly doubt the pathetic creature that helped spawn you is any challenge for the Ginyu Force."  
At that comment, Goten had to cover his mouth to suppress giggles.  
"What's so funny, you pointy-haired freak," snarled the Prince.  
"Nothing," replied the boy, practically choking on laughter.  
"Kakkarot, you might want to get that brat of yours checked out. I think he's defective," growled Vegeta.  
Goku smiled down at his son. Then he became extremely serious.  
"How about we welcome our guests?" he suggested.  
The other fighters smiled grimly and nodded.  
"Coming, Vegeta?" asked Goku, turning towards the shorter Saiyan.  
Nappa and Radditz watched their Prince as he silently fumed. He finally gave an affirmative grunt.  
"This doesn't mean we're allies. We take orders from no one," stated Vegeta.  
"OK. It's settled. Let's go guys," ordered Goku.  
They didn't have to go far though. The Ginyu Force had already arrived. 


	9. Let's Get Ready To Rumble!

I decided to take a study break and work some more on the story. I really wanted to finish up this chapter. Hope you like it. ~ ladymoonlight  
  
  
  
  
  
The assorted group of warriors, divine beings, and humans gasped as the Ginyu Force made a spectacular landing in the courtyard behind Capsule Corp. Performing a series of moves that would have put Sailor Moon to shame, the group stood ready to fight.  
Goten turned to Trunks, a confused look on his face.  
"Trunks. Who are the funny ballerinas?"  
"I don't know, Goten. But they make the Great Saiyaman look good."  
"The great what?" asked Gohan, slightly confused.  
Trunks and Goten didn't get a chance to reply. The alien who seemed to be the leader stepped forward.  
"I'm Captain Ginyu," he sneered.  
"And I'm Baata!" cried the large blue alien.  
"Jeice!" shouted the red-skinned creature.  
"Recoome!" stated the red-haired alien.  
"Guldo!" yelled the short, green being.  
"And we're the.....GINYU FORCE!" they screamed simultaneously.  
The team ended their speech with a stunning pose.  
"Yeah....." trailed off Goten.  
"Sure....." stated Trunks.  
They exchanged strange looks.  
"Do you dare mock the incredible power of the Ginyu Force?" bellowed Captain Ginyu.  
"No...." replied Goten.  
"We outright laugh," finished Trunks.  
"You arrogant little...." growled Jeice.  
Captain Ginyu held up his hand to silence his minion.  
"Forget them. What have we here, boys?" he asked, motioning towards the Saiyans.  
"It's the Monkey Freaks!" laughed Baata.  
"Ah, and their mighty Prince Vegeta," jeered Guldo.  
Vegeta clenched his fists and growled menacingly, baring his teeth. Nappa and Radditz shifted into fighting stances.  
"Who let you out of your cages?" snickered Jeice.  
The group of aliens laughed hysterically.   
"Shut up you jerk!" shouted Trunks.   
He slammed full force into Jeice, knocking the larger being down. Screaming, he began to pound into the alien. Recoome kicked Trunks fiercely. The small boy rolled backwards and landed with a thump. Goten hurried to his side. Trunks sat up, clenching his ribs.   
Bulma let out a scream and lunged at the group of aliens. Yamcha and Krillian grabbed her and forced her back.  
"Calm down," whispered Yamcha.  
"Leave him alone, you jerks!" she screeched hoarsely.  
Captain Ginyu leered at her.  
"Looks like the Earth woman wants to play," he commented wryly.  
The aliens laughed mercilessly. The other warriors, including Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz, moved in between the struggling Bulma and the mercenaries.  
Goten helped Trunks to his feet.   
"You OK?" he whispered.  
"Yeah," replied Trunks, still nursing his side.  
A hand grabbed his shoulder roughly.  
"Leave the fighting to us, weakling," growled Vegeta, shoving him backwards behind the group.  
Trunks landed on his rear. Bulma squirmed out of Yamcha and Krillian's grasp and ran to him. She bent down beside him and threw her arms around him, pulling him to her protectively.   
Goten turned to face the Ginyu Force. Scowling, he dropped down into a fighting stance.  
"Hey, the little runt wants to play," sneered Guldo.  
Captain Ginyu smirked.   
"Bring it on, brat," he hissed.  
Goten blurred out of sight and reappeared right in front of the alien's face. A swift kick to the head sent Captain Ginyu flying backwards. Baata flew towards Goten, taking him off guard. He began to mercilessly punch the child in the stomach.   
Trunks pulled free of Bulma's grasp and lunged towards the alien. He jerked to a stop. He writhed frantically, but he was stuck mid-air. Guldo laughed at the child, whom he had pinned through the use of telekinetic powers. At least until Vegeta charged into him. Knocked over by the Saiyan Prince, the alien lost his concentration. Trunks fell the ground with a thud, but quickly recovered and resumed his attack on Baata. The lavender-haired boy kneed the alien in the crotch, forcing him to double over and back off.   
Goten scrambled to his feet, standing beside Trunks. His friend spun towards the Earth warriors.  
"Don't just stand there! Fight!" ordered Trunks, sounding very exasperated.  
The Saiyans were the first to go into action. Nappa and Radditz quickly moved in to aid Vegeta with Guldo. The trio were successfully pounding the short alien when he suddenly phased out of sight. Suddenly, the three were thrown backwards by an incredible unseen force. The same thing happened to Trunks and Goten. Guldo reappeared, gasping for breath.  
Trunks sat dazed for a moment. His eyes narrowed as he remembered something his father had told him.  
"That's right. You can stop time," he addressed the panting Guldo.   
The alien grinned wickedly but did not reply.  
Trunks staggered to his feet and began to gather a ki attack. He was interrupted by Recoome smashing his fist into the boy's face.   
"You jerk! Back off!" Trunks screamed, infuriated.  
The boy spun towards his new enemy, only to find himself once again suspended by telekinetic force. Screaming in fury, the boy swung helplessly at Recoome who hovered just out of reach. Trunks heard a familiar attack.  
"Kamehameha!" screamed Goku and Gohan simultaneously.  
The double ki blast plowed into Guldo, freeing Trunks from his hold. Recoome was unable to dodge as the boy quickly kicked his mocker. The child began to ruthlessly attack the alien.  
Meanwhile, Yamcha and Krillian had joined Goten in facing off Baata, who was taking advantage of his super-speed. The alien was constantly darting about, weaving through the warriors, and inflicting as much damage as possible. He was slowed down considerably as he came in contact with Nappa's fist; Baata had been too busy taunting Yamcha to realize the bald Saiyan had snuck up behind him.  
Guldo was being subjected to his own move. Choatzu was telekinetically holding him in place while Tien efficiently pounded into him.   
Vegeta and Radditz had squared off against Jeice. A Big Bang Attack had done considerable damage to the red-skinned alien. The pair were successfully beating the other foreigner unconscious.  
Captain Ginyu was surveying the fight, scowling at how poorly his warriors were doing. A bunch of pathetic humans shouldn't be this hard to beat. His attention moved away from the fighting as Goku and Piccolo stepped in front of him. The alien smirked and eased into a fighting position. The earth warriors returned in like. Trunks saw the impending fight out of the corner of his eye.  
"Goku-san! Be careful!" he shouted, pausing momentarily from beating Recoome senseless. "Captain Ginyu can change bodies with other people!"  
The alien snarled at the child. He didn't know how the brat could have known about that.  
"So much for your little trick," commented Piccolo, smirking.  
With a yell, both Namek and Saiyan charged at the purple alien. He was able to fend them off for the most part, but he knew without a surprise attack with his secret weapon he was seriously hindered. Things only got worse as Gohan joined the fray. Ginyu spun around at his newest opponent, slamming his fist deep into the child's stomach. Gohan gasped as the air rushed out of his lungs and his collapsed to the ground. Goku let out an enraged scream and renewed his attacks on his opponent.  
"How...dare...you...hurt...my...son!" he shouted, putting all of his energy in his punches.  
Piccolo gasped as for a brief moment Goku's hair flickered gold.   
Captain Ginyu staggered backwards, vainly trying to escape the attacks. But Goku seemed to be everywhere at once. Fists and legs flew at the alien relentlessly.  
The tall Saiyan paused to catch his breath, towering over Captain Ginyu who had been forced to his knees. The rest of the Ginyu Force had been beaten into submission.   
"Please," whimpered Captain Ginyu. "Have mercy."  
The other members let out pitiful moans also, whimpering before the other warriors.  
"Leave," hissed Goku.  
"What? You're going to let them get away? Kakkarot, you idiot! Finish them!" screamed Vegeta, thoroughly enraged.  
"No. They aren't worth the energy," growled the older Saiyan.  
"Thank you," whispered Ginyu pathetically, groveling before Goku.  
Nappa spit at Jeice, who flinched, before turning away. Vegeta gave the crumpled warrior one last kick and followed after Nappa. The other warriors also turned back, heading towards Capsule Corp.  
"It's over," whispered Bulma to a shivering Chi Chi, whom she was holding in her arms.  
Chi Chi let out a strangled cry of relief.  
Goten and Trunks were the last to turn away from the mercenaries. Facing the other way, they did not see the smirk that formed across Captain Ginyu's face. Standing up, the entire Ginyu force prepared an attack.  
"Look out behind you!" screeched Bulma, pointing frantically towards the group of aliens.  
Trunks and Goten spun back around.  
"You should have left while you had the chance," snarled the older child.  
The two boys gathered their kis, forming them into balls of fiery energy in their hands. The Ginyu Force lost their concentration as their scouters shattered in front of their eyes.  
Screaming in unison, Trunks and Goten released their combined attack. Already weakened by the earlier fight, the Ginyu Force didn't have a chance. Jeice, Baata, Recoome and Guldo were destroyed on impact. Captain Ginyu was mauled beyond hope. He lay on the grass, staring up at the blue sky.  
Vegeta approached the fallen warrior. He snorted as he looked down at the alien.  
"Pathetic. Beaten by mere children," the Prince sneered.  
Captain Ginyu laughed mirthlessly, coughing up blood as he did so.  
"At least I wasn't out done by one of the proud Saiyan race," he jeered.  
For a moment a look of outrage flickered across Vegeta's face. It was quickly replaced with a wicked grin.  
"That child who just defeated you is the son of that fool over there," explained Vegeta, motioning between Goten and Goku. "And that fool is a full-blooded Saiyan."  
Captain Ginyu's eyes widened.   
"That's right," snickered Vegeta maliciously. "Have a nice stay in Hell."  
With those words, the Prince released a ki blast and finished off the last of the Ginyu Force.  
Bulma and Chi Chi paused for only a moment before rushing forward and embracing their children.  
"Trunks-kun! Are you OK?"  
"Gohan-kun! Goten-kun!"  
All three children tried desperately to escape their mothers' grasps.  
"Don't worry, Mom. We're fine," answered Gohan.  
The three boys managed to pull away. They smiled at one another, excited about their victory.  
"Amazing," stated Krillian, studying the two older boys.  
"You two sure are impressive," added Yamcha.  
Goten blushed and Trunks shrugged.  
"No biggie," he replied.  
Goku walked over and gave all three children congratulatory hugs. Then he turned to Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz.  
"Thanks for the help," he told them.  
"Don't get too sentimental," stated Vegeta. "It was only this once. You won't have our help again."  
"If you say so," said Goku, laughing slightly.  
Vegeta snorted and set off towards the wilderness, Nappa close behind. Radditz strayed for a moment.  
"You're not too bad, little brother," he comment, a slight hint of admiration in his voice.  
Without another word, Radditz flew off to rejoin his comrades. 


	10. Insights

Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long to get the next chapter up. Exams are finally over, so I should have plenty of time to work on the story. Thanks to all of you who reviewed. Enjoy! ~ladymoonlight  
  
  
  
  
Bulma lay in bed alone, studying the ceiling. Yamcha had made up a weak excuse to return to his apartment for the night. She knew that the reason that he left was most likely his conversation with Trunks earlier that day.   
In a vain effort to relieve her mind of the strain of dwelling on her boyfriend, Bulma began to review the events of the day. Her mind focused especially on the battle between the earth fighters and the Ginyu Force. But it hadn't just been the Z warriors fighting; Vegeta and company had helped out. The memory of Vegeta pushing Trunks out of the way came to Bulma's mind. She wondered if the Saiyan Prince really hadn't been trying to protect Trunks since he was supposedly weaker than the others were. Maybe Vegeta really did have a heart somewhere deep inside of him. Bulma chuckled at the thought. It seemed impossible, yet.....  
A light rapping on her bedroom door interrupted Bulma's thoughts. She pulled the sheets up around her neck.  
"Yeah?" she called.  
The door creaked open and Trunks entered hesitantly.  
"I can't sleep," he stated quietly.  
Smiling, Bulma patted the mattress next to her. Trunks crawled into the bed. He looked up at her with innocent blue eyes.  
"Where's Yamcha-san?" asked Trunks, trying to hide his pleasure that the ex-bandit didn't seem to be anywhere nearby.  
Bulma made a sour face.  
"He had to go make sure things were OK at his apartment," she replied, knowing how shallow the answer seemed.  
Trunks simply nodded, not wanting to press a sensitive subject.  
"So...." stated Bulma, attempting to break the awkward silence. "Tell me about your family."  
Trunks jerked slightly and blushed. He began studying the blanket intently, running his fingers gently across the stiches.  
"They're nice," he muttered.  
The blue-haired woman laughed loudly.  
" 'Nice'?" she asked. "Well, I would hope so. Seriously, Trunks, you don't have to hide it. I know I'm your mother."  
Trunks yelped and almost fell off the bed.  
"W-w-what?" he stammered frantically.  
"I've known ever since the moment you fell out of the closet with Goten."  
"How?" he asked, completely perplexed.  
"Simple. Genetics," replied Bulma. "The hair, the eyes. Where else could you have gotten such a crazy genetic code from?"  
Trunks laughed slightly.  
"Yeah...Dad is always teasing you about your hair color," he stated.  
The boy quickly clapped his hands over his mouth when he realized what he had said.   
"Speaking of your father," Bulma said slowly. "Trunks, I understand why you don't want to talk about him."  
"You do? Really?" he asked nervously.  
"Yes. I know Yamcha isn't your father. You didn't want to tell me because you thought it would hurt my feelings. Its OK, Trunks. I realize now that Yamcha and I aren't meant to be together, at least not forever," she said, smiling bravely.  
Trunks continued studying the blanket, fidgeting nervously. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to escape Goten's snoring by seeing his mother.  
"I can't tell you who my father is," the boy said quietly. "I'm sorry, but I just can't. So much could happen. Please forgive me."  
"I understand, Trunks," replied Bulma.   
She smoothed his hair back from his face and kissed him lightly on the forehead. Trunks smiled in return.  
"But I can still guess, can't I?" asked Bulma cheerfully. "That's half the fun. So, do I know him already, or will I meet him?"  
Trunks blushed.  
"You know him," answered the boy.  
"Hm...let's see," muttered Bulma, tilting her head to the right. "Krillian! No...Tien!"  
Trunks giggled helplessly.  
"No! I got it! Vegeta!!!" cried out Bulma.  
The boy sweatdropped and swayed slightly. The woman noticed his reaction.  
"Geez, it was just a joke. Lighten up, Trunks," laughed Bulma.  
"Heh, heh......joke," muttered Trunks.  
The conversation came to a halt as yet another person knocked on the door.  
"Yeah!" called out Trunks and Bulma simultaneously.  
Goten entered the bedroom cautiously.  
"I woke up and Trunks was gone," he explained.   
"Sorry, Goten. You were fast asleep and I didn't want to bother you," apologized Trunks.   
"No problem," replied Goten.  
He studied Trunks and Bulma. Goten smiled shyly and glanced around the room. Trunks quickly picked up on what his friend wanted.  
"Er...mom? Can Goten sleep in here too?" asked Trunks.  
"Sure," replied the scientist, smiling cheerfully.  
"Yeah!" shouted Goten happily, jumping into the bed and curling up next to Trunks. The two boys wrestled about before settling down.   
"Good night, you two," said Bulma quietly.  
"Night, mom."  
"Night, Bulma-san."  
The two boys squirmed under the covers, getting comfortable. Bulma leaned over and kissed both of them before turning off the lights. Moonlight crept in through the windows, casting an eerie pale glow over the sleeping figures of the two children. Bulma fell asleep watching the two boys sleep peacefully.  
Yamcha rejoined the warriors the next morning to continue training. Vegeta and company arrived around mid-morning. The Saiyans did less insulting and more advising. Goku smiled to himself, secretly pleased that Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz had become more amiable.   
At lunch, Trunks and Bulma happily announced that the work on the machine was progressing nicely. If they remained on schedule, the project should be completed by the following week.   
After a mini-celebration, the earth warriors returned outdoors to continue their training. At about 4:00, Trunks joined the group after working in the lab. Vegeta growled at the appearance of the child. There was something about the boy that bothered the Prince. The day before, in the battle against the Ginyu Force, Vegeta had felt as if he needed to protect the lavender-haired child. He had never felt that way before. He would have let Nappa and Radditz die without a second thought. He was a killer, not a defender like the pathetic earth fighters.  
Nappa and Radditz, on the other hand, were quite taken with Trunks after seeing his performance in the earlier battle. They had cajoled the young boy into sparring with them. Trunks was fighting carefully, making sure to keep his energy level in check. He glanced towards Goten and managed to catch the younger boy's eye. Goten studied Nappa and Radditz then winked and smiled at Trunks. Trunks laughed out loud as he dodged Nappa's punch and landed a kick in Radditz's stomach.   
Vegeta studied the spar between his fighters and the child. He suddenly made up his mind about something. Briskly, he stepped in between Raddtiz and Nappa and the boy. The pair of Saiyans stepped backwards, exchanging a confused glance. The other fighters ceased training, focusing on the Prince. Trunks shifted nervously as he studied his father.  
"Fight me," challenged Vegeta.  
"I beg your pardon," asked Trunks, glancing towards Goten for help.  
"You heard me. Fight me! Or are you too afraid? And don't look to Kakkarot's brat for help, either," snarled the Prince.  
Trunks moved uneasily into a fighting stance.  
"If that's what you want," he mumbled.  
Without any other words, Vegeta attacked. Trunks grunted as the Prince slammed into him and began to punch him relentlessly. The boy stumbled backwards, taking to the air for escape. Vegeta followed quickly behind him. The older Saiyan gathered a ki attack, aiming it at Trunks. The child barely dodged the blast and returned with his own energy attack. Vegeta grunted as the attack drove into his stomach, forcing him back. With a growl, he disappeared from sight and reappeared behind the child. Vegeta's arm snaked around Trunks' neck, trapping him in a headlock.  
At that moment, Bulma stepped outside.  
"Hey, guys. What's up?" she asked.  
Indeed, all of the fighters were looking upward. Turning her eyes skyward, the scientist saw what the other men were staring at.  
"Trunks!" she screamed.  
Bulma began to search desperately for some sort of weapon. She picked up one of the rocks that lined the sidewalk. With a shout, she heaved the stone towards the Saiyan that was attacking her child.  
Vegeta released the struggling child when he felt something hard pelt him in the head. Turning, he saw the blue-haired scientist with her back to him, scrambling to retrieve another projectile. The Prince landed quickly and swiftly approached the woman. He was in front of her as Bulma spun around, another rock in her hand. He grabbed her arm roughly, forcing her to drop her weapon.  
"Woman. What do you think you're doing?" he growled.  
Bulma whimpered softly and fought to pull herself out of his grasp. In the background, Vegeta could feel the kis of the earth fighters rise in defense.  
"You know," the Prince addressed the warriors calmly, his eyes not leaving Bulma. "If you attack me, I can kill her before your energy blasts reach me."  
Vegeta felt the others' energy drop in response. With a snort, he released his captive. He leaned forward, their faces barely an inch apart.  
"I wasn't going to hurt him," he whispered softly.  
Vegeta spun around and took to the sky, Nappa and Radditz following close behind.  
Bulma let out a sigh of relief and swayed slightly. Yamcha hurried to her side and helped to steady her.  
"Are you OK, Mom?" asked Trunks, moving to her side.  
"Mom?" exclaimed Goku.   
"What did he call you?" asked Krillian.  
Bulma laughed softly, rubbing her sore arm.  
"He called me 'Mom' silly," she replied, ruffling Trunks' hair affectionately.  
Yamcha moved away from her. Glancing about, he mumbled something about checking to see if he left the stove on. Yamcha hurried off without further explanation.  
"What's wrong with him?" questioned Goku, watching his friend's hasty departure.  
Everyone turned and looked at Trunks, who blushed and glanced down at the ground.  
"Oh," muttered Krillian. "I see."  
Tien and Choatzu exchanged knowing looks.  
"I don't get it," stated Goku, scratching his head.  
The group sweatdropped.  
"Trunks is Bulma's son, but he's not Yamcha's child," clarified Piccolo.  
Goku blinked rapidly.  
"Oh. OK," he replied, completely unfazed by the new information.  
"Son, sometimes I wonder about you," muttered the Demon King.  
The group began to move inside, trying to act unaffected by their discovery about Trunks. Bulma, however, lingered outside, watching the horizon where Vegeta and the other Saiyans had disappeared.   
"I wasn't going to hurt him."  
The Prince's words rang in Bulma's ears. Was she deceiving herself or had she really heard concern in Vegeta's voice? He almost seemed hurt that she thought that he would have hurt her son. But he had never shown mercy before. Why start now? Sighing in resignation, the greatest scientist in the world surrendered on trying to understand the workings of the mind of the Prince of all Saiyans. 


	11. Shooting Star

Happy Christmas everyone!!! May I present to you the next chapter! Hope you like it! ~ladymoonlight  
  
  
  
  
  
It was almost midnight. The moon hung low above the western horizon, turning an ominous red hue. The stars burned brightly in their respective places. Everything was silent except for the occasional distant howl of a predatory animal. And Vegeta's cursing.  
The short Saiyan Prince was in the middle of a heated spar against an invisible partner. Vegeta's breath made small white wisps as he exercised; the frigid air stung his throat. Yet none of this deterred the Saiyan Prince. With every practiced stance, his resolve only hardened. He would become a Super Saiyan.  
It was an insult to every decent Saiyan that ever lived that Kakkarot's brat was only a small child and was already able to obtain the coveted level. As Vegeta trained, he could hear the harsh words he knew his father would say if the King were still alive.   
"You weak, pathetic whelp," hissed King Vegeta's ghostly voice in his son's mind.  
Vegeta growled under his breath at his invisible tormentor. He pushed himself harder, until his body threatened to collapse if he didn't give it a break. Still, he pressed on.  
From a few feet away, Radditz and Nappa studied the other warrior in his frenzied pace. The bald Saiyan chewed his bottom lip in an attempt to keep a worried look off of his face.  
"Your Majesty?" piped up Radditz cautiously.  
The Prince didn't respond. He continued training.  
"Maybe you should rest now," continued Radditz slowly, afraid of provoking Vegeta. "You're going to wear yourself out."  
Without warning, Vegeta flashed out of sight and reappeared in front of his comrade, landing a punch in Radditz's stomach. The other Saiyan doubled over in pain.  
"Are you implying that I'm weak like you and require rest? I am the Prince of all Saiyans! I don't need to take a break. I will become a Super Saiyan before Kakkarot!"  
"O-of c-course you will!" stuttered Nappa. "You're the greatest Saiyan alive!"  
Vegeta ignored the false praise and continued his training.   
Nappa and Radditz quietly discussed whether or not they should risk an attempt to render the Prince unconscious. It would be for his own good. But try telling that to Vegeta when he woke up.  
Vegeta heard every word of their dialogue, his sensitive hearing picking up every syllable spoken. Yet, he chose to ignore his companions. It would be quite entertaining if they actually tried to go through with their little plot.  
A falling star streaked across the night sky, leaving a momentary white scar against the pitch-black dome above. Vegeta paused to admire the small glimpse of beauty. His entire life all Vegeta had seen was death and destruction, nothing pure. Simple things like shooting stars fascinated him. He was about to return to his training when he noticed that the meteor did not fizzle out as it plummeted through the atmosphere. It remained quite solid and intact. Several miles off, there was a small explosion as the object crashed into the Earth's surface. Vegeta's eyes widened in terror.  
The other two Saiyans stopped their conversation and stared off towards the landing site.  
"It's him!" whispered Nappa hoarsely.  
******  
Trunks awoke with a start. He felt as if he had been dropped into a freezing cold lake. He began shivering as he felt the dark presence that had come to Earth. Next to him, Goten let out a startled cry and stirred from sleep. The younger boy turned to Trunks, fear etched on his face.  
"Trunks, is it...." trailed off Goten.  
"Freeza," confirmed the older boy.  
******  
"Oh Chi-Chi! This is wonderful!" cried Goku as he surveyed the vast feast in front of him. "It's all for me?"  
His wife smiled and nodded.  
"And when you're through, you can have 'dessert'," replied the brunette, holding up a can of whip cream and smiling devilishly.  
Goku began to feel dizzy as he considered the endless possibilities presented to him with his wife and the sweet cream. Had he died and gone to Heaven again?  
In the distance, Goku heard what sounded like someone pounding on the door. The noise grew louder and disrupted his thoughts.  
"Wake up! Wake up!" screeched a voice.  
Goku woke up from his dream, feeling dazed and confused. Beside him, Chi-Chi muttered and squirmed under the covers. The light flickered on, momentarily blinding Goku before his eyes readjusted. He caught a flash of purple-hair as Trunks sprinted out of the room and down the hall, continuing to bang on doors. Breathless, Goten appeared in the doorway, Gohan in tow.  
"Freeza's here!" shouted Goten.  
The young boy didn't wait for a reply. He ran off once more to help Trunks wake up the others.  
Goku was now completely awake. He stretched out with his mind and detected a dark ki a several miles west.   
"Is it true?" whispered Chi-Chi, studying her husband intently.  
She let out a weak whimper as Goku nodded.   
"Don't worry, Chi," he said, kissing her lightly on the forehead.  
Goku scrambled out of bed and pulled on his orange gi. He heard Chi-Chi squeak again and turned to find Piccolo standing in the hallway.  
"Are you ready, Son?" grunted the Namek, looking peeved at the slow reaction time of the human fighters.  
"You bet!" cried Goku, heading out the door and joining the other warriors who were crowded into the Brief's family room. The group looked rather haphazard having rushed to get ready. Goten had donned an orange gi also, having borrowed it from Gohan.   
"So you're coming, kiddo?" asked Goku, ruffling Goten's hair.  
"Yep!"  
Goten turned to a worried looking Gohan and smiled eagerly.  
"Ready big brother?"  
Gohan looked slightly less confident, but replied enthusiastically nonetheless.  
"Yeah little brother!"  
The assortment of warriors headed outside into the cold night air. They each began to power up.  
"Hey! Wait for me!" cried a voice from behind them.  
The door banged shut and Trunks came running towards the group, still in his pajamas.  
"Whoa now! I don't think so," said Yamcha, holding his hand out. "This is going to be dangerous. We can't risk you getting hurt."  
Trunks mouth fell open.  
"But..." whined the boy, looking for support from the other warriors.   
The others shook their heads.  
"Yamcha's right," said Krillian, placing his hand on Trunks' shoulder. "You had better stay here. Look after Bulma and Chi-Chi, OK?"  
Tears stung the child's eyes. Trunks looked down at the ground, trying to hide his crying. If they only knew....  
Trunks felt two arms wrap around him.   
"Don't cry," whispered Goten so that only he and Trunks could hear. "You're too strong for that."  
Despite himself, Trunks smiled. He looked into Goten's warm eyes, which glowed with affection.  
"Besides," Goten added, winking. "Princes don't cry."  
Piccolo started, wondering if he had heard the child correctly. He looked to the other warriors, but no one else seemed to have picked up on the comment. Typical humans.  
Goten stepped away from Trunks and levitated into the air.  
"Take care of yourself Son Goten! If you let anything happen to yourself I'll never forgive you!" called out Trunks as he waved enthusiastically.   
Goten and the others waved back before speeding off into the night sky.  
Once they were out of sight, Trunks demeanor diminished. He looked about sulkily, feeling ignored and left out. He had never stood on the sidelines during a fight. This was going to drive him insane.  
"Why such a sour look?" asked a voice behind him.  
Trunks turned to see Bulma and Chi-Chi. They had changed out of their nightgowns and were dressed as if they were going somewhere. Bulma held up a capsule that Trunks recognized as one of the helicopters.  
"Are you coming with us?" she asked.  
Trunks laughed and nodded. He should have remembered his mother's tendency to tag along. A few minutes later, the trio were soaring into the air and were in pursuit of the warriors. 


	12. Goten vs Freeza

Trunks peered out of the window at the pre-dawn landscape. There was still about two hours left before sunrise. Pitch-black darkness seemed to consume the land. Trunks thought the scenery fit well with the mood.  
  
Trunks turned to his mother, studying her outline as she concentrated on the task of guiding   
the helicopter. It had been several minutes since they had lost sight of the earth   
fighters. Trunks had sought out their kis, which wasn't very hard considering the   
situation, and had directed Bulma in the right direction.  
  
Trunks was brought out of his reverie by a surprised squeak from Chi Chi. He turned in time   
to see Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz speed by on their way to Freeza's ship.  
  
"Great," muttered Bulma, nodding towards the warriors. "All we need now if for   
Mister-Mighty-Prince-of-the-Saiyans getting in the way."   
  
Trunks frowned to himself, suppressing the urge to rebuke her. The last thing that would   
help him is standing up for Vegeta.  
  
The Saiyans soon disappeared from view, leaving the trio alone in the darkness once more.   
Trunks fidgeted, feeling anxious. He wasn't used to traveling to a battle so slowly. It   
was maddening.  
  
Finally, they spotted the assembled warriors standing around a large, newly formed crater   
where Freeza's ship had obviously touched down. Vegeta and company were standing off by   
themselves, whispering feverishly. As Bulma brought the helicopter down, Yamcha approached   
the vehicle.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" he shouted the moment Bulma swung the door open.  
  
Bulma tossed her hair over her shoulder and glared at him indignantly.  
  
"I figured you could use someone with brains," she hissed.  
  
Yamcha opened his mouth to retort, but Krillian quickly stepped between the bickering   
couple.  
  
"We don't have time for this," he reprimanded them.   
  
Everyone's attention returned to the still-smoking crater. Trunks rushed to Goten's side.  
  
"I'm glad you're here, Trunks-kun," the younger boy stated, smiling at his companion.  
  
"Do you really think I would let you face unbeatable odds alone?" joked Trunks.  
  
The two boys exchanged a smile before turning serious.  
  
"So, what now?" asked Yamcha, placing his hands on his hips and staring into the depths of   
the crater.  
  
"We wait," growled Piccolo.  
  
The warriors settled down about a hundred yards from where the spacecraft rested. The last   
thing they needed was to be within reach of the enemy. Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz discussed   
battle tactics in hushed voices. Gohan went back and forth from sitting near Piccolo, who   
was meditating, and keeping Goten and Trunks company. Tien, Yamcha, Choatzu, and Krillian   
sat in a small semi-circle, not speaking often. Goku quietly instructed Chi Chi and Bulma   
in what to do if things got bad.  
  
The last hours before sunrise stretched out for eternity. The dark night was quiet; an   
eerie, apprehensive silence had fallen across the desolate area.   
  
As the sky began to brighten to a dull mix of gray and yellow, movement could be heard from   
the space ship. The warriors, including Trunks, quickly scrambled to their feet. A firm   
hand gripped the purple-haired boy's arm and pulled him backwards. Trunks looked up to see   
Bulma.  
  
"I don't think so mister," she stated, guiding him to where she and Chi Chi were going to   
watch.  
  
"But...."  
  
A stern look cut him short. Trunks looked at the ground, feeling crestfallen.  
  
"You aren't going to let him fight?" asked an incredulous Radditz.  
  
"He's a kid. He'll get hurt," replied Yamcha icily.  
  
"That kid is stronger than you'll ever be," replied Nappa.  
  
Yamcha clenched his fist menacingly.  
  
"Not now," advised Tien. "We'll get rid of them later."  
  
The Saiyans and humans exchanged angry glares. The loud hiss of the ship being depressurized brought their attention back to the imminent problem.  
  
Goten glanced worriedly at his father and brother. He was used to depending on them to help   
him. But now he was the strongest warrior. As far as Goten knew, neither member of his   
family, nor Vegeta, had been able to achieve Super Saiyan. And with Trunks hiding his   
identity, Goten would be all alone. This was not promising.   
  
A figure appeared in the shadows of the approaching dawn. Lord Freeza approached the group   
slowly, surveying each individual, sizing them up. His eyes fell on Vegeta and his scowl   
deepened.  
  
"Prince Vegeta," sneered the white and purple alien.  
  
Trunks noted that as he spoke, Freeza lazily twirled the chain of his necklace around his   
fingers. On the chain hung a heavy medallion. The amulet must be the talisman of Nodimaet.  
  
"I should have known better than to leave the task of securing this planet to a bunch of   
worthless monkeys" continued Freeza. "I dare say your father would have disowned you if he knew what a pathetic creature you have become."  
  
Radditz and Nappa restrained the enraged Prince. Freeza sneered and turned to the Earth   
fighters.  
  
"And this is the best the Earth has to offer? I'm disappointed. I was hoping for something   
more challenging. Instead, I get a reject Namek, a dysfunctional Saiyan, a handful of weak   
humans, and two children. Pathetic indeed."  
  
"You shouldn't underestimate us, Freeza," warned Piccolo. "Also, you've miscounted. There are three Saiyans. The children are half-Saiyan, half-human."  
  
Freeza snorted.  
  
"Half-breeds? And I thought the Saiyan race couldn't get any worse than it already is."  
  
Goten shifted into a fighting stance. Freeza chortled.  
  
"So the little runt wants to play?" he asked.  
  
Laughing maniacally, Freeza powered up a level. The earth warriors and Saiyans stumbled   
backwards as the initial ki rush flared out. However, Goten held his ground.  
  
"How...how can he be so powerful?" hissed Vegeta in a panicked voice.  
  
The other fighters looking at each other worriedly. None of them were sure if they were   
ready to face such a powerful opponent. Only Goten seemed unconcerned.  
  
"Impressed?" asked Freeza mockingly as he gestured to himself. "Why don't you give up now?   
Or do you all really want to die that bad?"  
  
"Never!" shouted Goten.  
  
With a yell, Goten jumped to the Super Saiyan level. Freeza stared at him with amazement.  
  
"What? You're just a child! There's not way you can be so strong!" stammered the alien.  
  
Vegeta smirked at Freeza's bewilderment.  
  
"He's one of the legendary Super Saiyans," explained the Prince.   
  
"That's impossible. There's no such thing," contradicted Freeza, his eyes never leaving the   
small, golden-haired child.  
  
"Seems like you're wrong," replied Piccolo coolly.  
  
Freeza scowled viciously.  
  
"I am never wrong!" he screamed.  
  
Freeza flew towards Goten, determined to rip the small child to shreds. Goten dodged his   
attack and took to the sky. Freeza spun sharply and followed after the boy.  
  
"The ability to run away isn't a super power," Freeza called after Goten as he struggled to keep up with the half-Saiyan.  
  
Goten came to an abrupt halt in mid-air. As he spun around towards Freeza, he collected a   
ball of ki in his hand. As soon as he was facing his opponent, Goten let loose the gathered   
energy. The attack struck Freeza, driving him backwards. The Z fighters scrambled away as   
the energy ball slammed Freeza into the ground, creating another sizable crater. Goten   
began to pelt the area with ki blasts. Dust began to rise from the crater and cover the   
area. Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz rose into the air and began sending their own energy blasts   
at the place where Freeza was pinned down. Piccolo and Goku joined them in their attack.   
Tein, Choatzu, Yamcha and Krillian stood by, feeling a little out of their league.  
  
After five solid minutes of assault, Goten and the others paused. Goten was gasping for   
breath. He felt considerably drained from maintaining such a strong offensive. A morning   
breeze picked up and carried away the dust clouds. In the bottom of the crater, Freeza was   
struggling to his feet. He looked battered. And very pissed.  
  
"You stupid tailless monkey," hissed the alien. "You are going to regret doing that."  
  
Freeza rose into the air once more until he was level with Goten. With a scream, the alien   
released a series of his own ki attacks. However, he didn't aim these at the small Super   
Saiyan. Instead, the blasts pounded into Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz. All   
five warriors were smashed into the ground. Painfully, they sat up.  
  
"Stay out of this," Freeza ordered the wounded fighters. "This is between me and the   
halfling."  
  
The evil lord focused on Goten. Before, he had wanted to kill the boy. Now he wanted to   
utterly destroy the small nuisance.  
  
Freeza held his hand palm-out towards the golden warrior. Slowly, he gathered his ki into a   
sphere. With a cry, he released the energy towards Goten. Unfortunately, Goten was no longer in front of him. Too late, Freeza turned to find the boy directly behind him. Goten landed a punch directly in Freeza's face. The alien's head snapped back from the force. Goten began punching and kicking furiously. It took a moment before Freeza was able to begin to block the continuous attacks. As he became more accustomed to the child's fighting style, it became easier for Freeza to defend himself.   
  
Finally, the alien saw an opening in Goten's defense. He landed a punch directly in the   
child's stomach. Goten gasped for breathe and began to fall from the air. With a loud thud, he landed on the ground. Freeza took the opportunity to bombard him with a series of ki attacks, pinning Goten to the ground.  
  
"KamehameHA!"  
  
A blast ripped into Freeza's side. The alien turned to see the other halfing prepare to   
attack him once more.  
  
"Brat!" he yelled at Gohan.  
  
He fired a ki attack at the small boy. Piccolo lunged and knocked Gohan out of the way,   
taking the blast for the child.   
  
"Mr. Piccolo!" cried Gohan as he hurried to his master's side.  
  
The Namek was clutching his side. The attack had left a deep gash in his green flesh.  
  
"Don't worry about me, kid. It's just a scratch," stated Piccolo, reassuring his small   
student.  
  
Goten had once again risen to his face. Looking up at Freeza, he scowled.  
  
"Leave my big brother alone!" he screamed.  
  
Goten flew into the air straight towards Freeza. The alien barely managed to block the   
flurry of punches and kicks that Goten aimed at him. Freeza fired a ki blast, but his aim was off due his desperate attempts to defend himself. The attack rushed past Goten. And flew straight towards Bulma.  
  
"MOM!" shouted Trunks as the the ki blast sped towards the woman.  
  
Bulma closed her eyes tightly and held up her arms protectively. She could feel the heat from the energy blast as it came ever closer. Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her body. She felt a lurch as the person moved swiftly out of the line of fire. The sound of a shattering rock column told her that the attack had missed and struck elsewhere.  
  
Shaking, Bulma risked opening her eyes. Looking up, she stared directly into deep black eyes. She gasped when she realized that she was being held by none other than Prince Vegeta.  
  
"Woman, you shouldn't have come," he growled as he dropped her unceremoniously onto the ground.  
  
Vegeta turned and marched back towards his companions, who were staring at him incredulously. Chi Chi and Trunks quickly hurried to Bulma's side.  
  
"Are you OK?" asked Trunks.   
  
"I'm fine," stammered Bulma.   
  
The scientist tried to calm her racing heart. She couldn't get the thought of how stunning Vegeta's eyes were out of her mind.  
  
While the fighters, including Vegeta, were trying to figure out why the Prince had saved Bulma, Goten had resumed his battle with Freeza. The alien was still struggling to fight off the swift Super Saiyan. A blow to the groin left Freeza gasping for breath.  
  
"I've had enough!" he screamed.  
  
Freeza clutched the talisman that hung around his neck. Concentrating, he channeled all of his ki into the medallion, which amplified his abilities. A powerful rush of energy was released as Freeza magnified his energy twenty-five times. Goten was knocked backwards. He crossed his arms in front of his face to prevent his eyes from being burned by the ki flash.  
  
Smirking, Freeza began to counterattack. At first, Goten was able to efficently block Freeza's attacks. Slowly, the dark lord drove through his defenses. The alien began to pound ruthlessly into the small half-Saiyan. Goten grunted in pain. Blood began to trickle down his chin.  
  
"Goten-kun!" screamed Trunks.  
  
The purple-haired boy tried to run to his friend, but he felt Bulma's arms wrap around him.  
  
"Let me go! I've got to help him!"  
  
"No, Trunks. You'll only get in the way," cried Bulma, desperately holding onto her child.  
  
The boy let out a weak cry and stopped struggling. He could hear Chi Chi begin to sob as   
she watch Goten being beaten without mercy.  
  
"KamehameHA!"  
  
"Big Bang ATTACK!"  
  
Gohan, Goku and Vegeta released their attacks simultaneously, attempting to force Freeza to   
back off. The alien, however, never slowed down; as he continued to attack the Super   
Saiyan, he created a ki shield. The warriors' attacks were not strong enough to penetrate   
the sphere of energy.  
  
A direct blow to the head caused Goten to begin to lose consciousness. As he once again fell to the ground, the golden aura around him flickered. His hair relaxed and returned to   
black. His eyes faded from blue to onyx. Dust rose as the boy collided with the ground.   
  
Weakly, Goten attempted to rise to his feet once more. Vainly, he tried to return to the Super Saiyan level. Gold ki flickered about him, but nothing happened.  
  
"Defeated so quickly?" asked Freeza as he hovered above Goten. "I'm disappointed."  
  
The alien released one of his strongest ki attacks. The energy tore into Goten, ripping the   
flesh of his back. Goten screamed in agony and fell in a heap on the dirt.  
  
"GOTEN!" screamed Trunks, pulling lose from Bulma's grip.  
  
Trunks ran towards his fallen friend. Piccolo was already at Goten's side, kneeling beside   
the small warrior. The Namek's hands ran gently over the child's mangled body.   
  
"Is he OK?" asked Trunks, his voice shaking.  
  
The other warriors stood off at a distance, looking in horror at Goten's crushed body. They   
were all shaking slightly.  
  
Ignoring Trunks' question, Piccolo turned to the other fighters.  
  
"Someone needs to go to Korin's tower and get senzu beans. NOW!" demanded the Namek.  
  
"I'll go," stammered Choatzu.   
  
The small emperor hurriedly took to the air and sped off in the direction of Kami's   
Look-Out. Freeza ignored the trivial warrior. He was too busy enjoying watching the   
despairing fighters. With their strongest fighter so easily defeated they looked completely   
helpless.  
  
"Piccolo! Is Goten OK?" pleaded Trunks once more, tears welling up in his eyes.  
  
Piccolo purposely turned away from the small child.  
  
"If Choatzu doesn't return soon...."  
  
Piccolo trailed off. Chi Chi collapsed and began to sob loudly. Bulma fell down next to   
the housewife and embraced her distraught friend. Goku clenched his fist. All of the   
warriors studied him nervously. Goku's ki was beginning to rise sharply. Golden light   
flickered around him. Freeza gasped as he noticed the change in the Saiyan.  
  
"Kakkarot," hissed Vegeta, watching as Goku hovered near Super Saiyan.  
  
Goku screamed. Falling to his knees, he pounded the ground in frustration. His hair and   
eyes were still their natural black. His energy had peaked and he was still short of Super   
Saiyan.   
  
Freeza chuckled at the disgruntled warrior.  
  
"Face it. None of you are a threat to me," taunted the alien.  
  
Freeza hovered above the warriors, laughing loudly. He had won. It had been too easy.  
  
Trunks knelt beside Goten.  
  
"Goten-kun," he whispered, taking his life-long friend into his arms.  
  
Trunks cradled Goten. Tears fell from his face, splattering on his best friends face.  
  
"Chibi. Please talk to me," he pleaded.  
  
Goten lay motionless in his arms. The younger boy was pale. Blood was smeared on his face.  
Trunks pulled Goten closer to himself.  
  
"Please...."  
  
The older boy buried his face in Goten's gi, sobbing helplessly. He should have stopped   
that lousy bastard. This was his fault. Goten was hurt and it was all his fault.  
  
Piccolo gasped and stood up suddenly. He stared bewildered at Trunks. The boy's energy was   
rising sharply. As the Namek began to back away from the child, the others noticed the   
change in Trunks' ki. Freeza stopped laughing and looked at the boy, puzzled by this new   
development.  
  
"Goten..." whispered Trunks, his voice hoarse from crying.  
  
Trunks carefully smoothed jet-black hair out of Goten's face. Standing up, Trunks held his friend's limp body in his arms.  
  
"I'm going to make YOU PAY!"  
  
Trunks let out a scream of agony. Pure gold energy flowered around him, consuming his   
body. His hair began to stiffen and to stand up straight. His eyes changed from their   
normal icy blue to a deep turquoise. Purple locks became gold.  
  
Trunks was now a Super Saiyan.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*******  
  
  
And that's it for chapter twelve. And Trunks-kun is a Super Saiyan! Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. More to come soon. Happy New Year! ~ ladymoonlight 


	13. Trunks vs Freeza

Trunks glared fiercely at Freeza. Not taking his eyes off of the monster, he bent down and   
gently placed Goten on the ground. He was going to make Freeza pay. For what he did to   
Goten. For what he had done to his father.  
  
From a distance, Bulma watched dumbfounded as her son changed from a normal child into a   
Super Saiyan. She could feel Chi Chi's body tense.   
  
"Trunks is...." began the older woman.  
  
Bulma's mind raced to the only person that she could think of who could be have fathered another Saiyan by her.   
  
"Goku's child," finished Chi Chi.  
  
The housewife pulled away from her friend's embrace. She gave Bulma a harsh, betrayed look.   
Bulma quickly looked away.  
  
"Chi Chi, I promise nothing has happened between me and Goku," explained Bulma.  
  
"Not yet, you mean," snapped Chi Chi.  
  
Tears flooded Bulma's eyes. She had always thought that Goku was handsome, but she never had considered actually having an affair with him.  
  
"So that's why Trunks never wanted to talk about his father," muttered Bulma to herself.   
"Chi Chi, I'm so sorry."  
  
"Save it," snapped the raven-haired woman.  
  
Bulma let out a ragged breath. There was no point in trying to talk to Chi Chi now. She   
would have to try to work things out after the battle.  
  
Closer to the action, the Saiyan and Earth warriors stared disbelieving at Trunks.   
  
"Trunks is a Super Saiyan too?" croaked Krillian.  
  
"That means...." trailed off Yamcha.  
  
Everyone turned towards Goku. The Saiyan was blushing and looking incredibly nervous. He   
had never thought of Bulma like that before.  
  
"So much for the pure and innocent Kakkarot," stated Vegeta.  
  
Piccolo sweatdropped. Were the others really too dense to pick up the similarities between   
Trunks and Vegeta's kis? Piccolo was about to set the group straight when he heard Trunks   
let out a scream. The group turned to see Trunks begin his assault.  
  
The Super Saiyan rushed towards his opponent in a blind rage. He began to pound ruthlessly   
into Freeza, screaming the entire time. Freeza vainly tried to dodge the enraged child, but   
Trunks seemed to be everywhere at once. With a sickening crack, the bridge of Freeza's nose   
shattered. The alien screamed in agony and retreated. He held his hands over his face,   
blood pouring down the front of his face.  
  
"My beautiful face," the alien whimpered.  
  
Trunks hovered a few paces away, panting heavily. He wiped the sweat from his brow.   
Smirking, he renewed his attacks.  
  
Once again, Freeza was bombarded by a merciless onslaught of kicks and punches from the boy. Freeza lashed out desperately, trying to fend off the angry Super Saiyan. Two ki blasts   
slammed into either side of the struggling alien. Nappa and Radditz had come to aid the   
child. All three Saiyans powered up for another round of ki blasts. Freeza gathered his   
energy into a shield. The attacks shattered the barrier and ripped into Freeza. The alien   
felt two ribs snap in his chest.  
  
Freeza began to sink towards the ground. Trunks dove after him. Freeza waited to the child   
was almost upon him before releasing a surprise ki blast. The attack hit Trunks point   
blank, sending him flying backwards. The boy flipped mid-air and charged at Freeza once   
more.   
  
The dark lord cursed under his breath as Trunks attacked him once more. Striking the child   
hard in the stomach, Freeza retreated a few feet. He was not going to be defeated by a mere   
infant. Once again, he clutched the talisman of Nodimaet in his hands. This time he   
channeled all of his energy into the amulet. With a rush of ki, the medallion amplified   
Freeza's power to fifty-times his normal level.  
  
Trunks studied his opponent warily. He was beginning to feel winded. And now Freeza had   
gained more power. The image of Goten's unconscious body flashed through the small   
semi-Saiyan's mind. Trunks growled menacingly, revealing his sharp canines. He held his   
hands out in front of him. Closing his eyes, Trunks concentrated his energy into a   
tremendous ball of ki. With a shout, he released the blast towards Freeza.  
  
The attack struck Freeza full force, driving him backwards in the air. However, with his   
new surge of power, the alien deflected the energy.   
  
Trunks stared at Freeza in shock. His attack had done little damage. Gritting his teeth,   
the youth charged at the enemy.  
  
Choatzu rushed towards the battle site, a bag of senzu beans clutched in his right hand.   
The small emperor paused in mid-air. Ahead he could see Freeza fighting a small,   
gold-haired boy. Choatzu blinked. He thought Goten had been knocked out. Shrugging off   
his confusion, the tiny warrior sped onward.  
  
As he landed, Choatzu trotted to Piccolo's side.   
  
"Here you go Piccolo-san," squeaked the emperor as he handed the bag to the Namek.   
  
Choatzu caught sight of Goten, who was still lying unconscious on the ground.  
  
"Tien. If Goten's down here, who's that?" asked the confused warrior.  
  
"That's Trunks," explained the taller warrior.  
  
"Oh my," replied Choatzu.  
  
In the air above the group, the battle between Trunks and Freeza had taken a turn for the   
worse. Freeza was able to block most of Trunks' punches and had landed quite a few of his   
own. With a well-place kick, the alien was rewarded with feeling three of Trunks' ribs   
crunch. The boy screamed in pain and backed away. Freeza aimed a ki attack at the boy; the   
blast ripped the fabric of his t-shirt and left a nasty burn on his chest. Trunks curled up   
in pain. Freeza pulled back his hand, hoping to smash in the child's skull with his fist.   
A hand gripped Freeza's arm tightly. The alien turned to see Vegeta grasping his arm.   
Screaming, Vegeta used all his strength to tighten his hold on his long-time tormenter.   
Freeza shouted as his wrist shattered in the Saiyan Prince's grip. Freeza growled and   
placed his palm on Vegeta's stomach, releasing a ki attack. The Prince was flung backward   
through the air. The blast smashed Vegeta through a rock column.  
  
"Papa," whimpered Trunks under his breath.  
  
Weakly, Trunks held his hands in front of him. Slowly, golden ki began to flicker and take   
shape in his palms. His body ached as he drained more of his energy into the attack.   
Grunting, Trunks released the blast towards Freeza.  
  
Freeza was caught off-guard by the attack. He had been too busy gloating over the fallen   
Prince. Trunks' attack knocked the breath out of the invader. Grunting in pain, Freeza   
returned his attention to the boy.  
  
On the ground below, Piccolo was distributing the senzu beans. He had taken one himself to   
heal the wound on his side. Taking Goten into his arms, he slipped one of the beans into   
the small child's mouth. Goten swallowed instinctively and winced. Lazily, he opened his   
eyes.   
  
"What happened?" he asked as he sat up.  
  
He stretched carefully. Other than a few sore muscles, he felt fine.  
  
"Freeza knocked you out," stated Piccolo in reply to his question.  
  
"Freeza!" shouted Goten, jumping to his feet.  
  
"Don't worry. He's being taken care of," commented Yamcha dryly, pointing skyward.  
  
Goten looked up and saw his best friend in Super Saiyan mode.  
  
"Trunks!"  
  
Above, Trunks glanced down when he heard Goten call his name. A smile spread across his   
face when he saw that his friend was OK. The distraction left an opening in his defenses.   
Freeza landed a punch directly in the child's face. Trunks' head snapped to the side   
violently, nearly breaking his neck. He winced and held his neck, which was throbbing in   
pain.  
  
Goten let out a squeak and took off towards his foe and his friend. Piccolo stood quickly.   
  
"We have to help them," he commanded.  
  
The others nodded.   
  
"What about Vegeta?" asked a quiet voice.  
  
Piccolo turned to see Bulma standing near him.  
  
"You can use his strength in the fight. I think you should give him a senzu bean," she   
continued.  
  
Yamcha opened is mouth to protest, but Piccolo held his hand up to silence him.   
  
"She's right. We might actually need his help."  
  
"I'll give him the senzu bean," stated Bulma, holding her hand out.  
  
Piccolo nodded. He removed a bean to give to Trunks, then tossed her the bag. Bulma caught it in one hand. She turned and trotted off to where the fallen Prince lay.  
  
"I can understand why you have feelings for her, Goku," piped up Krillian. "Bulma is a   
great woman."  
  
"Yeah, she's great. But I don't have feelings for her," muttered Goku.  
  
Yamcha growled to himself and set out towards Freeza and the boys without another word.   
Piccolo noted the hurt look on both Goku and Yamcha's faces. Unfortunately, he didn't have   
time to clarify Trunks' ancestral line. That would have to come later.  
  
As the warriors went to aid Trunks and Goten, Bulma rushed to Vegeta. He lay among pieces   
of shattered rock. He was badly bruised and one of his legs was crushed. He had his eyes   
closed, trying to rid his mind of the pain that was shooting throughout his body.  
  
"Here, Vegeta. Take this," whispered Bulma.  
  
Vegeta opened his eyes and looked at her suspiciously. After regarding her for a minute, he   
obediently opened his mouth. She pushed the senzu bean into his mouth, blushing as her   
fingers brushed his lips. Vegeta swallowed painfully. He blinked in surprise as the   
magical antidote took immediate effect. Sitting up, he studied his body quickly; the   
bruises were gone and his leg had healed. Turning to Bulma, he smirked sexily. Without a   
remark, Vegeta sprang into the air and went to join the battle. Bulma blinked a few times   
before scowling.  
  
"You could have said 'thank you'," she shouted after him.  
  
Vegeta quickly surveyed the scene as he joined Nappa and Radditz in the air. Yamcha,   
Krillian, Tien, and Choatzu were weaving about Freeza, distracting him. Goku and Gohan were   
doing most of the actual attacking. Goten was supporting Trunks as Piccolo gave the boy one   
of the senzu beans. Trunks winced but quickly recovered.  
  
"Chibi."  
  
"Hey Trunks-kun," replied Goten, smiling sweetly.  
  
"I'm so glad you're OK," whispered Trunks.  
  
"You shouldn't worry about me. Takes a lot to get rid of me," stated Goten simply.  
  
Trunks smirked at his companion.   
  
"I have an idea," stated the older boy.  
  
Goten looked into Trunks' eyes and smiled. He knew exactly what his friend was talking about.  
  
"Fusion!" the boys shouted simultaneously.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
********  
  
Wow! Another chapter in less than two days! Yes, I know the Z boys haven't figured out that Trunks' is Vegeta's kid. I thought it would be a little bit more interesting if they thought he was Goku's kid. Don't worry. They'll figure everything out eventually. Happy 2002!!! ~ladymoonlight 


	14. Gotenks vs Freeza

Trunks and Goten exchanged a mischievous look. Now that there was no point in hiding the   
older boy's power, they might as well make use of their favorite trick: fusion.  
  
"Hey, Piccolo-san!" shouted Trunks. "You and the others distract Freeza for us. We're   
going to need a minute to get ready. After that, we'll only have thirty minutes to get this   
right."  
  
Piccolo studied the two boys curiously. He decided not to protest. Trunks seemed to be   
quite cunning; whatever he had planned must be good. Piccolo nodded. He quickly joined the   
others.  
  
"OK. Those two are up to something. Let's buy them some time," ordered the Namek.  
  
His fellow Earth fighters, along with Nappa and Radditz, nodded. Vegeta gave a grunt of consent. The odd group of fighters began an onslaught on the disgruntled Freeza. They darted about feverishly, never staying in one place for more than a few seconds. This made it hard for Freeza to attack them. The alien was madly shooting ki blasts at the warriors, but none of his attacks struck the intended targets. This only enraged Freeza even more.   
  
As the others provided a distraction, Goten and Trunks began the fusion dance. The sequence   
of stances looked similar to a mid-air ballet recital. Trunks and Goten spun and twirled   
exactly as Goku had taught them. At the end of the sequence, they leaned towards each   
other, touching their fingertips together.  
  
"Fusion-HA!" they shouted simultaneously.  
  
A brilliant flash of ki swept through the air, crashing into the warriors. The assorted   
group turned to where the two boys had been hovering. Instead, only one boy floated in the   
air. The child smirked at the shocked look on the others' faces. Black hair with purple   
streaks fluttered in the wind.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" hissed Freeza.  
  
The boy chuckled; the sound had an eerie effect. It was like two voices blended into one.  
  
"I'm Gotenks. And I'm going to kick your ass," stated the bizarre child.  
  
"Gotenks?" asked Goku, scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Heh. I get it. Goten plus Trunks equals Gotenks," stated Piccolo. "I wonder if there's   
anything else those two have failed to tell us."  
  
Freeza scowled.  
  
"I don't know what you did, but it doesn't matter! There is nothing that you can do to stop   
me! This only means that I can kill both of you in one blow," snarled the alien.  
  
"Whatever," scoffed Gotenks.   
  
The boy leaned forward and smiled. He looked like he was about to tell them a big secret.  
  
"What to see something neat?" he asked.  
  
Freeza just growled in response. Gotenks smirked.  
  
"This is Super Saiyan....level three."  
  
Gotenks let out a scream as he began to power up. Golden energy blossomed around him,   
enveloping his body. His bi-colored hair grew longer until it reached past his knees. The   
long locks turned gold and his eyes turned turquoise. Freeza's mouth dropped open as he   
watched the boy transform. Shaking his head, the evil warlord chuckled.  
  
"So? Your hair grew longer. Big deal," stated Freeza.  
  
Gotenks clenched his fists. Screaming in fury, the Super Saiyan flew towards his opponent.   
Freeza blocked the boy's initial blows. However, as Gotenks continued his flurry of   
attacks, Freeza had more trouble defending himself. He grunted as Gotenk's foot slammed   
into the side of his head. The kick sent Freeza flying sideways through the air. Gotenks   
phased out of sight and reappeared in Freeza's path. The boy's fist slammed into the   
alien's chest, shattering another rib. Freeza gagged as he coughed up a little bit of   
blood. Gotenks smashed both fists down on his opponent's head, sending Freeza rocketing   
towards the Earth's surface below.   
  
Freeza slammed into the ground, dust billowing up around his body. His eyes widened as he   
saw a ki blast hurtling towards him. The alien was too beaten to dodge; the attack ripped   
into him, crushing his left leg. Growling in pain, Freeza weakly hovered off of the ground.   
  
He slowly rose back up to the same level as the other fighters. Gotenks gasped when he saw   
that the attack hadn't finished off his foe.   
  
Inside Gotenks mind, two voices were deep in conversation. Goten and Trunks were trying to   
figure out how to defeat the monster Freeza. Even at their highest level, he was still a   
challenge. And time was quickly passing away. Only ten minutes remained until the fusion   
would wear off. And then they would be forced to wait five more minutes to fuse again.  
  
Puffing up his cheeks, Gotenks blew out air, as if he was blowing a bubble with gum. In   
fact, a bubble did form. The "bubble" changed form until it looked like a ghost version of   
Gotenks. The boy made several of these ghost-like beings.   
  
"Attack!" shouted the boy.  
  
The bizarre figures advanced on Freeza. The alien sneered.  
  
"Is this supposed to scare me or something?" he laughed.  
  
One of the forms collided with him. And exploded. Suddenly, all of the ghosts were   
assaulting Freeza, each one exploding on contact.   
  
Gotenks placed his hands on his hips and laughed triumphantly. The smoke cleared and Freeza   
was still hovering mid-air, though he looked very beaten. Gotenks frowned bitterly, but the   
look was soon replace with fear.  
  
"Uh-oh," muttered the Super Saiyan.  
  
Pop. A small burst of smoke surrounded Gotenks. In his place hovered Goten and Trunks.   
They both wore an identical looks of surprise.  
  
"Shit," hissed Trunks.  
  
"So, you don't have control of your little trick?" snorted Freeza.  
  
With a yell, he released two ki blasts directly at the boys. Goten and Trunks yelped and   
dodged out of the way.  
  
"Time! We need more time!" shouted Trunks. "We'll need five more minutes before we can   
fuse again."  
  
The others nodded. Immediately, they surrounded Freeza.   
  
"KamehameHA!"  
  
Krillian, Goku, and Gohan released identical attacks. The blasts slashed Freeza, but little   
harm was done.  
  
"Fools!" he shouted, aiming his own attacks at them.  
  
Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz moved in quickly, deflecting the attacks with their own energy   
blasts. Tien, Choatzu and Yamcha flew about in front of Freeza, distracting him. Growling   
in fury, Freeza sent a wave of ki energy at the entire group. They were driven backwards in   
the air. As soon as the attack passed, they charged once more.   
  
A short distance off, Trunks and Goten studied the battle.   
  
"One more minute," commented Trunks as he glanced down at his watch.  
  
His eyes focused once more on the fight in front of them. With the talisman, it was nearly   
impossible to defeat Freeza. Trunks eyes widen with realization.  
  
"That's it!" he shouted happily.  
  
"Huh?" asked Goten.  
  
"I'll tell you when we fuse. That way he can't overhear," replied Trunks.  
  
Glancing back at his watch, he nodded.  
  
"OK. Let's go!"  
  
Freeza slammed his fist into the closest fighter, which happened to be Yamcha. The human   
clamped his hand over his mouth; he was pretty sure he had just lost a tooth or two. Vegeta   
attempted a swift kick to Freeza's head. The alien, however, caught the Prince's leg. He   
tossed Vegeta into Radditz. Freeza smiled to himself. It was too easy.  
  
"Fusion-HA!"  
  
"Not again," muttered Freeza.  
  
He turned to find Gotenks hovering near him. The boy, however, was not attacking.   
Instead, he seemed to be having an internal conversation.   
  
*"It's the talisman. If we get rid of that, he'll lose his powers. Aim for the talisman,"   
instructed Trunks.  
  
"Gotcha," replied Goten.*  
  
Gotenks smirked evilly, his eyes focusing on Freeza. The alien scowled at the boy. He   
aimed a ki blast towards Gotenks. With a smile, the Saiyan deflected the attack with his   
hand. Shouting, Gotenks sped towards Freeza.  
  
The next twenty minutes were a blur of movement. Gotenks pounded into the warlord, having   
no mercy on the sadistic murderer. Freeza, badly beaten and bleeding, was beginning to   
weaken. He was only able to land a few punches on Gotenks; the child seemed unaffected by   
the blows. Finally, Gotenks was able to force his way through Freeza's defenses.   
  
The boy slammed into the alien, knocking the wind out of Freeza. Gasping for air, the dark   
lord found himself face-to-face with Gotenks. The boy smiled sweetly as he raised his arm,   
palm out. Placing his hand on the talisman of Nodimaet, Gotenks released his strongest ki   
attack.  
  
The blast drove Freeza backwards into the ground, creating the third crater that day. The   
gold chain that had held the talisman melted into his flesh. The amulet itself shattered   
into razor-sharp fragments which pierced Freeza's skin.   
  
In the bottom of the crater, Freeza lay dieing. Blood was slowly seeping out of his wounds.   
Without the talisman to magnify his powers, he had no chance. He stared above him. In the   
past few hours, the air in Earth's atmosphere had turned blue. He studied the sky above him   
with dull eyes. His view of the azure dome was blocked as the Z fighters and the Saiyans   
landed and circled the crater. They all stared down at him. Freeza flinched, realizing   
what a shameful death this really was.  
  
Pop. Goten and Trunks diffused. They joined the warriors and peered down on the fallen Freeza. Behind him, Trunks could feel Bulma and Chi Chi approaching. Bulma came up and placed her hands gently on Trunks shoulders, pulling him close to her. Chi Chi did the same with Goten.  
  
Freeza stared up into the eyes of the warriors. And saw pity. An idea flickered through the alien's mind.  
  
"Please," he croaked. "Have mercy."  
  
The group started at his words. They looked at each other, unsure what to do. Goku lowered his head and held out his fingers, preparing to transfer energy to Freeza.  
  
"I'll give you enough power to leave, but only if you promise to never return. Do you   
understand?" stated Goku.  
  
"Kakkarot! I won't allow it!" shouted Vegeta, looking outraged.  
  
"Yes! Yes! I promise," hissed Freeza urgently.  
  
Goku nodded and began to gather his energy into his hand.  
  
"No," stated Trunks coldly, pulling away from Bulma.  
  
The group looked at him in amazement.  
  
"Trunks-kun," whispered Goten.  
  
Goten moved closer to Chi Chi. Trunks had told him some of what Freeza had done to   
Vegeta-san. Goten had held his friend as he had cried over what had happened to his father.   
The young boy shivered in fear at the dark look on Trunks' face.   
  
"In our world, you let him live Goku-san. And he came back and tried to kill us. He's   
lying. He'll wait until he's stronger, and he'll come back. You can't let him live   
Goku-san. I know you don't like it when anyone dies, no matter how bad they are. But this   
time, you can't spare him," said Trunks.  
  
"No! Don't listen to him!" shouted Freeza. "I promise."  
  
Goku pulled back his hand and studied the child intently.  
  
"He's right, Son. There's no goodness in his heart," stated Piccolo.  
  
Goku shook his head sadly.  
  
"I understand," he whispered.  
  
"No! Wait!" shouted Freeza desperately.  
  
Trunks glared down at the whimpering creature. The alien looked pathetic.  
  
"You're going to burn in hell for what you've done," snapped Trunks. "This is for my   
  
father."  
  
Trunks held up his arm, pointing his palm towards the monster below.  
  
"I'm Trunks Briefs. Crown Prince of Vegeta-sei."  
  
Freeza's eyes widened. Trunks smirked, looking identical to Vegeta.  
  
"BIG BANG ATTACK!"  
  
Trunks summoned his energy into his palm and released the blast at the groveling Freeza.   
The energy sliced into the alien, disintegrating his body. Freeza was no more.  
  
Sighing, Trunks put his arm down by his side.  
  
"It's over," he whispered.  
  
Goten ran to Trunks' side and threw his arms around him, knocking them down.  
  
"We did it! We did it!" shouted the younger boy.  
  
The two boys laughed and wrestled playfully. They stood up and turned to the other   
fighters. The group stood still, staring at them in shock, their eyes wide and mouths opened.  
  
"You...you're..." stuttered Nappa.  
  
"N-n-no way!" stated Krillian.  
  
"You mean Bulma and V-v-vegeta?" stammered Yamcha.  
  
Vegeta stared at the purple-haired boy, completely dumbfounded.  
  
"Crown prince of Vegeta-sei?" muttered the Prince.  
  
Bulma let out a whimper and covered her mouth with her hands. Goten and Trunks exchanged   
confused looks.  
  
"I-I thought you knew when I turned Super Saiyan?" asked Trunks.  
  
"They thought you were Goku's child," snorted Piccolo.  
  
"What? Me, the son of that low-class, third-rate, pathetic-excuse-for-a-Saiyan, Kakkarot?"   
asked Trunks as he waved his hands about furiously.  
  
"Now it's definitely obvious who his father is," commented Tien dryly.  
  
Trunks held his head in his hands.  
  
"I'm in so much trouble," he muttered.  
  
  
  
  
  
*******  
  
Wow! Two chapters in one day! I think that's some kind of record! Yay! I was in a really   
creative mood. Well, that's all for now. I'll try to get the last chapter out soon. Later peeps! ~ladymoonlight 


	15. Going Home

Bulma collapsed onto the oversized sofa. She had spent the afternoon listening to Trunks explain everything. How he was a half-Saiyan, like Goten. How he was actually stronger than Goten. How he was the son of Vegeta.   
At the end of Trunks' explanation, Yamcha had stormed off in a fury. Vegeta had muttered something about how he would never mate with a pathetic human woman and left.   
Closing her eyes, Bulma tried to let the memories of the day slip away. The fight with Freeza. The discovery of Trunks origin. It was just too much. Sighing to herself, Bulma rubbed her forehead. Her head ached dully. She needed a drink.  
Something heavy crawled into the scientist's lap. Opening her eyes, Bulma peered into crystal blue eyes.   
"Hey, Trunks-kun," whispered Bulma.  
"Hey, Mom," he replied sheepishly.  
Smiling, the woman wrapped her arms around the boy, pulling him close to her.   
"Are you mad at me?" he asked timidly, his voice muffled slightly.  
"No, I'm not. Just surprised."  
"OK."  
Bulma couldn't believe that the small child that she held was Vegeta's son. But there was so much to prove it. Similar attacks and fighting methods. Similar frown. That smirk. The only difference was the hair. A soft purple, the odd blend of her own hair color with that of the arrogant Saiyan Prince's.  
Shifting slightly, Trunks looked up into Bulma's face. Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes.  
"I want to go home," he whimpered softly.  
He quickly buried his head in Bulma's shirt in an attempt to stifle his sobs. Trunks longed to be with his own parents. He wanted to be home, where all he had to worry about was getting out of trouble when one of his plans went wrong, which they all inevitably did. He wanted to wake up in his room to the smell of burning breakfast. He wanted to walk to the kitchen and to be greeted by the typical grunt from his father and the peck on the forehead from his mother. He wanted to go to the park with Goten and spy on Gohan and Videl. He wanted home.  
Bulma cooed at the small boy, smoothing his hair as she gently rocked him.   
"Don't worry, Trunks-kun. I'll fix the machine for you."  
Trunks sat up. Wiping tears from his eyes, he smiled weakly.  
"Thank you."  
He slid of her lap and landed softly on the ground.   
"I'm going to go see what Gohan and Goten are up to," he said, before heading off.  
After watching him leave, Bulma stood up. Stretching tired muscles, she set out towards the lab. She spent the rest of the day and most of the day, locked away, working feverishly on the contraption.   
This behavior continued for the next few days. Bulma spent every spare moment working on the machine. With Trunks' help, the project was going smoothly. Finally, all that was left were the finishing touches.   
Bulma worked late into the night. Trunks came and went, quickly kissing her goodnight and offering to help. She had shooed him away, insisting that he need to rest. He nodded, knowing that she would rather work alone.   
At about two o'clock in the morning, as Bulma hovered over the blueprints for the reality jumper, the scientist had a visitor. She started slightly when she heard the soft swish and click of the lab door opening and being closed. Wincing to herself, Bulma turned, expecting to see Yamcha. They had a lot to talk about. To her surprise, Yamcha didn't stand behind her. Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans, stood arrogantly in front of the only way out of the room. The Saiyan's attention was not on the scientist before him; his eyes were scanning the walls, which had hundreds of unfinished blueprints pinned to them, and the shelves, cluttered with half-completed projects.  
"How did you get in here?" demanded Bulma, clutching a screwdriver in her hand.  
Vegeta turned to the blue-haired woman and smirked.  
"The thing that you boast is a security system has a rather simplistic wiring. It was child's play to override the circuitry," explained Vegeta.  
Bulma blinked a few times. Shaking her head, she made a mental note to update the settings on the system.  
"What do you want?" she snapped.  
Vegeta shrugged his shoulders slightly and continued to survey the room. After a moment, he spoke.  
"I wanted to see the child."  
"You mean Trunks?"  
The Prince snorted.  
"Who else? That brat of Kakkarot's?"  
Bulma chuckled slightly.  
"Sorry, your Majesty," she stated, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  
Vegeta grunted and moved towards her. Bulma squeaked and held up the screwdriver defensively.   
"Do you think you could really do anything with that?" he asked, his eyes dancing with silent laughter. "I'm not here to hurt you woman."  
Bulma relaxed slightly and studied the intruder carefully. For some odd reason, she felt at ease around Vegeta.  
"You saw Trunks. Why did you want to see me?"  
Vegeta approached Bulma stealthily, like a cat. The woman shifted uneasily as the Saiyan moved closer, leaving only a few inches between them. She could faintly feel his body heat, he was so close.  
"I wanted to let you know that whatever happened in that brat's world, isn't going to happen here. I will never 'fall in love' with someone. Especially not a weak female like you."  
Vegeta smirked. Reaching out, he brushed a strand of Bulma's hair out of her face.  
"Not that I wouldn't mind taking you. You seem very promising," he purred softly.  
Bulma's face brightened at what he was implying. She pushed his hand away.  
"Keep dreaming, monkey-boy," she growled.  
Vegeta stared at her in amazement for a moment. His face darkened as her words sank in.  
"Never call me that again," he threatened.  
"Oh, did I hurt little Veggie-chan's feelings?" she asked tauntingly, speaking to him as if he were three-years-old.  
"Woman, I'm warning you....."  
"Get over yourself, Vegeta."  
The Saiyan Prince stood still, studying the fiery-tempered scientist. He smirked, a look of admiration flickering across his face.  
"So, you aren't afraid of me."  
"Why should I be?" snapped Bulma.  
Vegeta shrugged casually. He waved his hand, letting her know that the conversation was over. He headed towards the door.   
"Vegeta!" called Bulma.  
He turned to her.  
"Yes, woman?"  
"The name is Bulma. I should have the machine done by tomorrow morning. Trunks will be leaving. I just thought you would like to know so you can tell him good-bye."  
Vegeta scowled.  
"Why would I want to do that?"  
"He's your son!" shouted Bulma.  
"He's not my son," replied the Prince. "I don't care when he leaves. It doesn't involve me."  
Vegeta turned and left. Bulma stared in shock at the closed door.  
"What a jerk," she muttered.  
Shaking her head, the scientist went back to work on the machine.  
The next morning dawned dreary and bleak. Which was exactly how Bulma felt. It had been a week since Goten and Trunks had defeated Freeza. Now the reality jumper was complete, and they would be returning home. The machine sat outside in the back courtyard. It looked better than ever.   
The Earth fighters, including Yamcha, showed up to bid the boys farewell. After a huge lunch it was time to say good-bye. Goten and Trunks faced the group, trying to smile through the tears.   
Movement off to the side caught Bulma's attention. Turning, she saw Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz land quietly in the corner of the courtyard. The woman smiled to herself; he had shown up.  
Radditz and Nappa approached the group warily. Facing Trunks, they bowed.  
"Farewell, Prince," stated Nappa, smiling at the youth.  
"Hope to see you soon," added Radditz.  
Trunks looked past them towards Vegeta. He remained aloof, frowning bitterly.  
"Don't worry," whispered Nappa, as he leaned towards Trunks. "We'll work on those two."  
The Saiyan motioned to Vegeta and Bulma and then winked at Trunks. The boy laughed and nodded.  
"Thanks," he replied in Saiyan.   
Turning once more to the Earth fighters, he noticed that Chi Chi and Bulma were both blowing their noses and crying uncontrollably.   
"Bye, Mom and Dad," stated Goten, moving to embrace Chi Chi and Goku.  
"Take care, little brother," said Gohan.  
Goten smiled in reply.  
"I'll miss you, big brother."  
The two Sons hugged one another tightly. Releasing his brother, Goten turned to Trunks. Trunks looked towards Vegeta.  
"Good-bye....dad," he stated.  
Vegeta grunted in reply and turned away. Trunks noticed that after he did this, Vegeta glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and smiled.  
Turning to Bulma, Trunks held out his arms.   
"Good-bye, mom."  
Bulma whimpered and embraced her son.  
"I'm going to miss you Trunks-kun," she whispered.  
The woman released him reluctantly. As Trunks watched tears slip down Bulma's face, he had an idea. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet. Flipping through its contents, he removed a picture. With a smile, Trunks handed Bulma the picture.  
"This is for you," he stated.  
Taking the photo, Bulma looked down at it curiously. It was a picture of her and Trunks, both smiling cheerfully at the camera. But they weren't alone. Next to her stood Vegeta. He looked displeased with having his picture taken. Bulma had one slender arm intertwined with the disgruntled Saiyan's. He didn't seem to be trying to pull away either.  
Looking up, Bulma saw that Goten and Trunks had already climbed into the machine. The two boys waved enthusiastically towards the assorted group.   
"Come back and visit, you two!" shouted Chi Chi.  
The boys nodded. Punching the appropriate buttons, the glass shield slid shut. With one last wave, Trunks pressed the button that would send them home. A bright flash of light, and the children were gone.  
Bulma stared at the empty space. She couldn't believe they were gone. Trunks was gone. Fighting the urge to cry, Bulma looked back down at her cherished photo. She hesitated for a moment, then approached the Saiyans with determination. Vegeta raised an eyebrow as the human woman stopped in front of him and his comrades.  
"I know you three are homeless right now, but I wanted to let you know there is more than enough room for you at Capsule Corp. You're welcome to stay with me."  
Vegeta opened his mouth to protest, but Nappa quickly cut him off.  
"We accept," he stated quickly.  
Bulma nodded pertly and turned and headed back towards the other fighters and the house.  
"Your Majesty, look how she swishes her butt when she walks," commented Radditz. "She has a nice ass."  
"Shut up."  
"And nice curves also," added Nappa. "I would love to get my hands on her..."  
"Shut up."  
"What do you think, your Majesty?" asked Radditz.  
"I SAID SHUT UP!"  
******  
There was a sickening lurch as the machine came to a stop. Trunks and Goten sat up and peered around at their surroundings. They appeared to still be in the courtyard behind Capsule Corp. Only there was no assorted group of fighters there to wish them farewell.   
Popping open the glass cover, Trunks and Goten hopped out the machine. They looked about, feeling unsure about their whereabouts.  
"Do you think it worked?" asked Goten.  
A small smile spread across Trunks' face.  
"I think so."  
The two boys broke out into a run. The pair stormed into the house.  
"MOM! DAD! We're back," shouted Trunks.  
He heard a loud thudding coming down the stairs. Bulma Briefs appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. She looked ecstatic.  
"Vegeta! Come quick!" she cried as she ran towards the two boys.  
As she barreled into them, sweeping both children into her arms, Vegeta appeared in the entrance. Smiling, he hurried forward, embracing all three of them.   
"Goten!" shouted Chi Chi as she and Goku arrived.  
Goten pulled free of the Briefs' grasp and ran into his own parent's arms.  
"Mom! Dad!" shouted the spiked-haired boy.  
"You are in so much trouble, mister," threatened Chi Chi between sobs.  
From under his mother's arm, Trunks watched his best friend being welcomed home. The two boys looked at one another and smiled. It was good to be back.  
Releasing her hold on her son, Bulma frowned at the boy.  
"Explain yourself, please sir."  
Trunks and Goten burst into a long explanation of what happened. Goku and Vegeta's eyes widened when they heard the account of the boy's battle with Freeza.  
"You turned Super Saiyan! Trunks Briefs!" scolded Bulma, smiling despite herself.  
"So, you finished off Freeza," asked Vegeta, smirking.   
He ruffled Trunks' hair.  
The two boys beamed happily, feeling extremely proud of themselves.  
"You do know that you two are still going to be grounded," stated Bulma, becoming deadly serious.  
"Oh man!" whined Trunks and Goten simultaneously.  
"I don't know, Bulma-san," stated Goku. "They did defeat Freeza after all..."  
"That doesn't matter!" snapped Chi Chi.   
Goten and Trunks snuck out of the room as their parents began to bicker about their punishment. Quietly, the boys made their way to Trunks' bedroom. Exhausted, the boys collapsed on the queen-sized bed.   
"So, whatcha want to do?" asked Goten.  
"Dunno. But whatever we do, this time, I'll let you be the good-guy," replied Trunks  
  
  
  
THE END  
  
  
  
  
******  
There you go peeps! I hope you enjoyed the story. Lots and lots of thanks to all of you guys who reviewed. You reviewers are the best! ~ladymoonlight 


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